If you’re going to build a business you need two things—understanding of what works and what doesn’t and a focus on customer service. Minnesota has approached its brownfield programs with those points in mind. The state has kept meticulous records on investment and results of redevelopment programs, which give the state a profound understanding of its programs, their effectiveness and their value. The state has also worked to simplify and streamline the processes involved in redevelopment. That’s both an outgrowth of its understanding and an expression of the state’s efforts to make a complex process as easy as possible—it’s also a reflection of the fact that the state started the first voluntary cleanup program back in 1988.

Minnesota has 1,587 sites documented by the Department of Trade and Economic Development (DTED) and the Pollution Control Agency (PCA), the two state agencies most directly involved in brownfield investigation and cleanup activities. During the past seven years, 121 of those sites received funding through DTED programs to assist with investigation (assessment), cleanup and redevelopment. Through those programs, Minnesota set several key benchmarks of success for the state and its brownfield program partners. To give an indication of the work that has been done in the state over the past seven years, Minnesota’s combined brownfield programs have created 17,380 new jobs generated more than $36,559,307 in new local tax revenues supported the creation of 5,100 units of market rate and affordable housing limited legal liability for 1,253 non-polluting landowners, financiers, neighbors or developers assessed, cleaned or cleared 1,415 acres in Minnesota communities completed or progressed on the redevelopment on 69 of 121 sites and committed to the redevelopment of 52 sites, all according to DTED statistics. ...

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