THE INFLUENCE OF INCENTIVES OFFERED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO PRIVATE DEVELOPERS OR LAND OWNERS ON THE RATE OF BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT

Redevelopment of brownfield sites has become increasingly popular since the inception of voluntary cleanup programs in the early to mid 1990?s. Local governments have begun to offer incentives to private developers or land owners to offset costs associated with contamination and encourage the redevelopment of properties that are typically underutilized. Incentives may take several forms including, but not limited to, fast-tracked project approval, risk based cleanup standards, liability relief, tax breaks, and direct funding assistance.This study investigates how incentives that are offered by local governments to private developers or land owners influence the rate of redevelopment in their sphere of influence. A survey was administered to local governments throughout the State of California to determine how incentives are used for the redevelopment of brownfields. Results from this study show a preference by participating local governments to offer direct funding assistance, which may be directly linked to a relative level of inexperience.