FAQs • Sterling Heights, MI • CivicEngage

Why is the City involved in Brownfield redevelopment at all?: Our 1st objective is to assist in the remediation of contaminated sites to provide a healthy environment for all of our stakeholders. Our 2nd objective is to use our limited available land to its highest and best use. Our 3rd objective is to protect the property values of all of the property in the City. Contaminated sites tend to be underutilized and reduce the property values of not only the specific site, but surrounding properties as well. By redeveloping sites, we can redirect growth to areas that already have a public infrastructures in place, thus saving the taxpayers millions of dollars in needless future reinvestment.

▼
Brownfield Redevelopment Authority

1. What is a Brownfield Redevelopment Authority?: A Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (BRA) provides a major new tool for local governments to use to revitalize brownfields which are abandoned, undeveloped, or underutilized properties not being developed or fully utilized due to environmental contamination.

2. Why is the City involved in Brownfield redevelopment at all?: Our 1st objective is to assist in the remediation of contaminated sites to provide a healthy environment for all of our stakeholders. Our 2nd objective is to use our limited available land to its highest and best use. Our 3rd objective is to protect the property values of all of the property in the City. Contaminated sites tend to be underutilized and reduce the property values of not only the specific site, but surrounding properties as well. By redeveloping sites, we can redirect growth to areas that already have a public infrastructures in place, thus saving the taxpayers millions of dollars in needless future reinvestment.

3. By designating the entire city as Brownfield Redevelopment Zone, are you in fact declaring all properties within the zone contaminated?: No, a Brownfield Redevelopment Zone is used purely for marketing and financing purposes. The declaration of contamination is a site-specific process that requires the property owner, or potential buyer to perform research to determine the presence, or absence, of any potential contamination.

4. Will declaring the City a Brownfield Redevelopment Zone negatively impact my property values?: No, the declaration of a Brownfield Redevelopment Zone will not impact the value of property either in a negative or positive manner. It will make property that is contaminated, or appears to be contaminated, more marketable by providing a financing mechanism to assist in the remediation of that property.

5. How does the TIF (Tax Increment Financing) generally work?: The strategy many communities have adopted is as follows: Company A invests $1 million which generates $10,000 a year in TIF money. They spend $50,000 to remediate a contaminated site. The BRA would return to the company $10,000 each year until the company recovered its investment in the site remediation.

6. Will the capture of Tax Increment Funds negatively impact the school district?: No, schools that are “in formula” will feel no affect in their operating budgets as the state guarantees the per student rate regardless of the local tax dollars received. All debt millages for all public bodies are expressly exempt from TIF capture.