Communicate frequently with potential developers, tenants, and end-users. Local governments should provide regular updates on the developable brownfields sites, and their reuse vision, to increase and monitor potential interest from private developers, investors, and other stakeholders.

If necessary, assemble properties. Sometimes a brownfields site is not viable unless combined with adjacent properties. Reasons for this include type or size of the site needed for the desired reuse, limited site access, or improvement of surrounding blighted conditions. A local economic development authority or land bank can help by acquiring, assembling, and preparing sites for transfer back to the private sector for redevelopment.

Create market interest, particularly when local market conditions are weak. Communities and local governments can market the brownfields site to create “buzz” and generate interest from potential tenants or other end-users. Local governments can reduce risk for potential investors by eliminating remaining uncertainties specific to brownfields, such as knowledge of environmental conditions, land use restrictions, or public or neighborhood concerns.

Issue a request for expressions of interest from developers and investors. Communities and local governments can gauge the potential redevelopment interest in a brownfields site by requesting preliminary, nonbinding statements of interest. This process allows your community to engage potential redevelopers, discuss what is needed to achieve the overall reuse vision, and chart a path toward reuse.