City of Windsor Brownfield Redevelopment Strategy and Community Improvement Plan

Windsor’s economy is highly industrialized and linked with automobile manufacturing. With recent restructuring and the general trend towards service-oriented economies, many automobile manufacturing related firms in Windsor have downsized or relocated. The result is a significant inventory (as much as 7,400 acres) of contaminated, derelict, and underutilized properties, many of which are vacant or abandoned. Despite restructuring, trade and tourism continue to grow, resulting in population growth and the need for housing and commercial space. To manage this growth effectively, the City will prepare a Brownfield Redevelopment Strategy (BRS) and a Community Improvement Plan (CIP). These initiatives will accommodate growth on brownfield sites that are already serviced within the existing urban area. The City anticipates the BRS and CIP will promote environmentally sustainable urban development to existing infrastructure and incorporate energy, water, wastewater and land efficient designs and development technologies. Environmental benefits are difficult to quantify because it is not yet known how many brownfield remediation projects will result from the BRS and CIP or what their size will be, however, anticipated environmental benefits include improvements in soil and groundwater quality, a reduction in greenfield development, and a reduction in urban sprawl.