Imagine this scenario: Long Island cleans up and redevelops its 6,800 brownfields. For every acre of brownfield that is redeveloped, three acres of open space are preserved. The resulting development of Long Island’s brownfields creates 60,000 full-time jobs, $6.8 billion in business revenue, and $340 million in tax revenue – all without infringing on a single acre of Long Island’s dwindling open spaces. The contaminants that led these brownfields to be abandoned are removed from the ground and no longer threaten our drinking water. Long Island is one step closer to being environmentally sustainable.
Sustainable Long Island recognizes that brownfields redevelopment is the future of growth on Long Island. We map brownfields where they occur in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, advocate for redevelopment legislation, promote redevelopment in communities where we facilitate downtown revitalization, and move redevelopment forward through our affiliate nonprofit, the Long Island Redevelopment Institute (LI REDI).
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Why redevelop brownfields?
Save our open spaces...
When World War II veterans and their families began moving in large numbers to Long Island in the 1950s, they were drawn by the region’s rural surroundings and small-town charm. On Long Island, one could truly have it all: the beauty of forests, meadows, and pristine shorelines, and effortless access to bustling New York City.
Over the next 50 years, Long Island’s growth would be driven by a booming economy, railroad and highway construction, and unprecedented population growth. Properties were developed and abandoned, and yet the towns pushed ever outward, swallowing more and more of Long Island’s seemingly unlimited open spaces.
The need for a new development model is urgent. Unless we come up with a new way to grow, the last of Long Island’s open spaces will be lost within 20 years. For every acre of brownfields that we redevelop today, we save three acres of open space tomorrow.
Breathe new life into our communities...
The next time you pass an empty lot or abandoned building on Long Island, consider the businesses and housing that could fill that space. Imagine the revenue and jobs that a new community business would create. Think about the tax dollars that would flow into our schools and towns.
Long Island’s brownfields are disbursed throughout all our towns and villages. However, concentrations of brownfields can often be found in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. It is estimated that the redevelopment of Long Island’s brownfields will generate 60,000 full-time jobs, $6.8 billion in business revenue, and $340 million in tax revenue. Brownfields are not just blights on our streets – they are untapped opportunities for our communities to prosper. They are the future of growth on Long Island.
