Abstract
Despite the vast amount of legal research available on brownfields redevelopment generally, little has been done on the value of brownfieldto- greenspace conversions. Brownfield-to-greenspace conversions that incorporate public–private partnership elements may trigger private investment in brownfields when the market alone fails to induce development of contaminated lands. Brownfield-to-greenspace partnerships are a flexible way to redevelop brownfields and maintain complete stakeholder involvement in the cleanup and ownership process. Currently, an unfunded Wisconsin program is set up to provide grants to municipalities for brownfield-to-greenspace conversions. Wisconsin municipalities have used this grant successfully in the past to improve local economic prospects simply by investing in small-scale brownfield-to-greenspace conversions. This Comment breaks down why programs that encourage brownfield-to-greenspace conversions should continue to be funded. Investments in greenspace may be small, yet resulting economic prospects through property-value improvements and job creation can be large in some circumstances. This Comment assesses how the Wisconsin brownfield-to-greenspace program could be made more attractive and feasible if it allowed for public–private partnership; at the moment, the Wisconsin program is limited to municipalities and has a deed restriction whereby private entities are not allowed to use the land associated with the grant for a number of years. Ultimately, brownfield-to-greenspace redevelopments may be best performed through public–private partnerships where more stakeholders have access to funding and influence on project developments.
Repository Citation
Scott W. Brunner,
Sharing the Green: Reformatting Wisconsin's Forgotten Green Space Grant with a Public-Private Partnership Design,
95 Marq. L. Rev. 305
(2011).
Available at: https://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/mulr/vol95/iss1/2