“In 2018 we completed phase two, which really identified our brownfield sites, designated a certain opportunity area and we got to officially become a certified BOA community which is recognized at the state level,” Director of Planning and Development Rebecca Wurster stated at this month’s economic development meeting. “That designation allows developers to redevelop brownfield sites for specific tax incentives and credits.”

A brownfield site is an urban parcel of previously developed land that is not currently in use that may be potentially contaminated. “So we know about our brownfield sites, we know where they are, we just need to market them to developers to get the redeveloped,” Wurster continued.

The city received a grant in the amount of $135,000 to do just that, hiring consultants to put together a marketing strategy to bring developers to the city that wish to reap the benefits a brownfield site can offer.

“What will be prepared is known as an expression of interest packet and that will include basically all of our brownfield sites and all the detailed information on those sites,” Wurster said. “It will include a master development plan and then marketing data for the city that targets certain sectors of different industry that we think will fit Dunkirk the best. It will use different maps and graphics and we’re going to have a list of potential developers, local, regional and national developers that might be interested.”

NRG is a large brownfield site the city is hoping to be redeveloped.

According to Wurster the overall goal of this is that consultants will help the city develop and select a developer, multiple developers or a master developer that can help redevelop these sites.