Brownfields Redevelopment  Toolbox

Step 4 - Implementation  

STEP 4: Implementation (sub-directory)

Identify Interested Developers

After the marketing plan is launched, the municipality must identify developers and investors for their brownfield properties. These may include new or existing property owners, stakeholders and developers from within the municipality that are beginning to realize the growth opportunities available and may be interested in investing or reinvesting in their brownfields. A strong and positive approach by the municipality is necessary, along with presentation of sufficient incentives and educational tools, to sway potential developers to be interested. 

New investors and developers should emerge from outside the municipality with the right marketing plan, but the Municipal Team should also make a strong effort to seek out investors and developers that are known to work with brownfields across Ontario, Canada and the US. Invite them to tour your sites and sell your municipality. The following resources are useful to seek out proactive brownfield developers and investors:
  • Personal references
  • Other municipalities
  • Professional associations (planning, developers, consulting, environmental industry, etc.)
  • Brownfield networks and organizations (e.g. the Canadian Brownfields Network)
  • Real estate firms and agents
  • Business directories (e.g. AR Business Directory)
  • Case studies on successful brownfield developments across Canada
If individuals identified or referred are not prepared to work with your municipality at this time, they may provide assistance and information to help you identify other potential developers. They can also provide valuable and insightful feedback on your marketing plan and brownfield redevelopment strategy.

 Work with Owners and Stakeholders

The Municipal Team and assigned staff should work with the property owners and developers on their brownfields properties and provide assistance throughout the redevelopment process.
  • Provide information on the CIP and marketing plan
  • Educate them about brownfields in Ontario
  • Address all questions and concerns (provide direction to answers)
  • Characterize their sites
  • Create marketing portfolios
  • Acquire and work with investors and developers
  • Aid in project redevelopment
  • Implement new ideas
The team should be receptive and flexible to new ideas, criticisms and concerns. 


 Encourage Redevelopment and Communicate Incentives

The Municipal Team should be flexible enough to allow creative thinking and collaboration from all parties and stakeholders to aid in the redevelopment planning. Providing assistance and open communication encourages redevelopment. If developers perceive that your municipality is open to new ideas it provides a powerful marketing tool to attract new development. 

The Municipal Team should provide professional assistance to potential investors and developers to encourage redevelopment, such as:
  • Involvement of the municipal staff as advisors and partners in the development (as opposed to regulators)
  • Focus on key properties that provide the highest return on investment (gateways to further development)
  • Proactive and pre-investment advice and consultation
  • Provision of detailed research conducted (reduce their costs and time involved)
  • Assistance with the remediation, redevelopment and marketing process
Communicate and provide assistance with essential items such as:
  • Municipal strategies, practices and Community Improvement Plans;
  • Assessment of the potential expenses and benefits;
  • Financial incentives available;
  • Financing and funding available (federal, provincial, regional and municipal);
  • Development and marketing tools available;
  • Guidelines, applications and approvals required;
  • Updates on regulatory approvals and permitting process; and
  • Public perception, outreach and education implemented.
 Understand Concerns and Provide Flexibility

It is important to discuss the vision, ideas and concerns presented by interested developers. The municipal plan for brownfields redevelopment should be flexible enough to allow creative thinking and collaboration from all parties and stakeholders. 

Developers should be informed of all investment opportunities, benefits and impediments. They should be provided with municipal advice and assistance on the CIP and overall strategy for marketed sites. 

The Municipal Team should provide tours and presentations of the municipality, surrounding community and proposed site(s) to potential investors, developers and stakeholders. Feedback should be encouraged to aid in redevelopment of each site as well as adjustments to the redevelopment strategy and marketing plan.

Any concerns should be followed up and personally addressed by the coordinator or team within a reasonable time frame. It is not only important to capture, but maintain the interest in potential developers and stakeholders and extremely important to avoid unnecessary delays for investors. Lost time is lost money and can easily turn a positive development opportunity to a costly investment mistake. Establish and maintain milestones and timeframes. Although a brownfield project may inherently take long due to site-specific characteristics, developers appreciate knowing a relative time frame to work with.

The municipality should now be in a position to accept proposals from interested developers and form partnerships.