Environmental Protects
Agency

Plan for Brownfields Redevelopment Success

Fiscal Impact

Successful brownfields
revitalization doesn't
just happen. It's
planned for.

Approach browrifield
revitalization through
creative, inclusive,
and efficient planning
activities.

Our community needs to:

¦	Estimate the expected costs and changes in tax revenue due to our planned brownfields
assessment, cleanup, and reuse activities.

¦	Use the estimated cost and tax revenue changes to determine the appropriate level of
public and private investment needed to support the long-term, safe reuse of the site.

How a Fiscal Impact Analysis can help: A fiscal impact analysis will provide an estimate
of changes in public sector revenue, including changes to costs and taxes, resulting from
brownfield site reuse activities. This information is needed to determine an appropriate
level of public versus private investment that will sustain the planned site reuse over the
long-term.

Influence on brownfields assessment, cleanup, and reuse: It is common for a safe
and sustainable brownfields reuse to require public investment and support. Evaluating
the fiscal impacts of the planned reuse upfront enables the community to determine how
much public investment is needed and whether that amount aligns with the community's
budget and redevelopment priorities. The analysis will help the community make an
informed decision on whether to pursue site assessment and cleanup activities based on
the planned reuse.

What is involved? The analysis uses current public data (e.g., public budgets, tax rates,
policies, and incentives, etc.) and site-specific reuse details (such as square footage, type
of reuse, construction costs, etc.), to estimate expected changes to public revenue due to
costs and taxes. The analysis also estimates property and sales tax changes anticipated
based on the amount of new households or commercial activity expected.

When to conduct? A fiscal impact analysis is most helpful once the community identifies
one or more proposed site reuse options. This is typically early to mid- term in the reuse
planning process. The analysis of proposed uses may require further studies to identify
the highest and best use of the property, evaluating the fiscal impacts against community
vision and redevelopment goals.

What does it typically cost? Costs range from $10,000 to $70,000 depending on the
scope, location, and availability of public data, and the cost of paid data and economic
models for the site and area.

Who can perform? Typically performed by an experienced economic analyst, planner,
redevelopment specialist, or a multi-disciplinary brownfields redevelopment team.

Early on in the site
selection process,
consider the range
of realistic site reuse
options.

Create a brownfields
revitalization plan
based on the
community's vision,
site and surrounding
area conditions such
as environmental,
economic, real estate
market, assets,
challenges and
vulnerabilities. These
factors will directly
influence how the
site is assessed and
remediated.

Planning activities that
focus on brownfield
revitalization are
eligible under an EPA
Brownfields Assessment
or Multipurpose Grant.

Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (5105T) | EPA 560-F-24-003 | April 2024

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