Brownfield Community Improvement Plan
Brownfields are abandoned, vacant, derelict, or underutilized lands with an active potential for redevelopment which is complicated by actual or perceived environmental contamination. Welland’s Brownfield Community Improvement Plan (BCIP) provides a framework of financial incentive programs, strategies, and actions to encourage and promote remediation and redevelopment of Brownfield properties within the defined project area. Redeveloped Brownfield sites add value to the community with combined social, environmental, and economic benefits.
Five incentive programs are available through the Brownfield CIP:
1) Environmental Study Grant
Provides a grant equal to 50 per cent of the cost of up to two eligible environmental studies to a maximum grant of $20,000 per study. The grant payment is capped at $35,000 per project.
2) Brownfield Tax Assistance Program
Cancellation of municipal property taxes (city only) for up to 3 years. The grant is equal to 100 per cent of taxes paid during the tax cancellation period, and is paid to the applicant upon completion of all remedial work at the end of the tax cancellation period.
3) Brownfield Tax Increment Grant (TIG)
Provides an annual tax increment based grant equal up to 100 per cent of the municipal (city and regional) property tax increase generated by the approved project for a period of 10-15 years.
4) Brownfield Fees Grant
Provides a grant equal to 100 per cent of city planning, building, and demolition permit fees.
5) Brownfield Development Charge Reduction
There is no application for the first 75 per cent reduction however applicants are required to enter into an agreement with the city for the remaining 25 per cent upon review of the city’s
development charge reduction criteria.
