Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (WCBRA) recently released the program’s bi-annual report. The report includes information about activities, grant programs, and financial data from 2019 and 2020.
Highlights from the report include $124 million in private investment, over the two-year period, from six activeconstruction projects supported by brownfield incentives, two completed projects, and two approved Brownfield Plans.
Major accomplishments include the following:
- The City of Ann Arbor completed most of the site remediation at the Leslie Science and Nature Center by the end of 2020, supported by a $538,000 Local Brownfield Revolving Fund Grant from the County
- A condominium project on North Ashley Street in Ann Arbor broke ground in 2019 and was more than 50% complete by the end of 2020
- The former "Lower Town" redevelopment, now known as Beekman on Broadway, completed its first phase of redevelopment in 2020 and brings 250 apartments to Ann Arbor, with 8 out of 15 planned affordable housing units provided with this first phase
- The White Street site redevelopment, part of the Swift Lane affordable housing redevelopment, was completed in Ann Arbor and resulted in redevelopment of 32 affordable housing units
- The Thompson Block redevelopment in Depot Town was completed, adding 20 urban loft apartments, with ground floor restaurant and entertainment space to be opened in 2021
These efforts and major accomplishments align with OCED and WCBRA’s goal of investing in the community, revitalizing neighborhoods, creating new tax base, and mitigating threats to public health and the environment.
Since its establishment in 1999, Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority has completed 18 projects, implemented $648 million dollars of private investments, utilized $21.9 million of public investment of Brownfield TIF funding, redeveloped 1,068 acres of land throughout the County, and created 1,974 jobs. Learn more at https://www.washtenaw.org/brownfields.
Read the full report here.