Evaluating the New York State Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program

Brownfield sites occur where soil contaminants exceed the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation cleanup objectives. Clusters of Brownfields present a challenge to redevelopment, particularly in lower income communities where extrinsic market factors further suppress real estate values. The New York State Department of State Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) program provides financial and technical assistance to municipalities and community-based organizations to complete revitalization planning studies and implementation strategies. New Partners for Community Revitalization, a nonprofit organization dedicated to renewing low and moderate income neighborhoods through the redevelopment of Brownfield sites, engaged a Capstone team to conduct an assessment of BOA program performance. To assess the efficacy of the BOA program, the team used geospatial analysis to evaluate the program’s impact on land values. Additionally, the team tracked program funding flows, surveyed stakeholders, and developed case studies to highlight the strengths and challenges of this community-based planning program.