Brownfield Redevelopment Strategy: Connecting with the

The local economic developer has a working relationship with all the existing industries and is typically the first person a site selection consultant calls (even before the mayor) on behalf of an industry that is interested in bringing a business to a community. Healthy relationships with these key local stakeholders will give you an idea who's coming and who's leaving.  A good start would be connecting with the State representative of the Southern Economic Development Council (http://www.sedc.org).  Also, each State has its own Economic Development Council, representing the economic development organizations within the State.  The Southern organizations are:

• Economic Development Association of Alabama (EDAA)


• Arkansas Economic Development Commission


• Florida Economic Development Council


• Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA)


• Kentucky Association for Economic Development (KAED)


• Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association (LIDEA)


• Mississippi Economic Development Council (MEDC)


• Missouri Economic Development Council


• North Carolina Economic Developers Association (NCEDA)


• Oklahoma Professional Economic Development Council (OEDC)


• South Carolina Economic Developers Association (SCEDA)


• Tennessee Economic Development Council (TEDC)


• Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC

USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grants - Due August 6th

The USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) is open; applications are due August 6. The primary objective of the RBOG program is to promote sustainable economic development in rural communities with exceptional needs. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Though grant awards are limited to $50,000 increments out of a total pool of $2.37 million, that amount can still go far and have a large impact for a rural community. Eligible entities include: public entities; nonprofit corporations; Indian tribes; institutions of higher education; and rural cooperatives.  More information and instruction on applying is available HERE.

DOT Tiger Grants Released

DOT released $500 million in funding for the FY12 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants.  TIGER grants aim to spur a national competition for innovative road, rail, transit and port projects that promise significant economic and environmental benefits to an entire metropolitan area, a region, or the nation.  Each project is multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional or otherwise challenging to fund through existing programs.  In the latest round of grants, 43% of the awarded projects are in the NEMW region, equaling 39% of the total funding.  DOT's release is available here

TEXAS - Urban Renewal: Why Toxic ‘Brownfields’ Are Tough to Redevelop

Source: Stateimpact, Fehling

Former MDI Superfund Site in Houston

6/18/12

For developers of housing or commercial projects in Texas, bringing what had been contaminated, blighted lots back to life can be full of challenges, both legal and economic. But sometimes it works.
“Once you own the site, you have repercussions to that and potential liabilities,” says John Slavich, a Dallas lawyer.

Listen to the story’There’s just no trace of it"

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