August 4, 2010
New Life Planned for Richmond Brownfield Site

RICHMOND – Planning is underway to improve an underutilized Richmond Brownfield site for renewed land development and economic activity thanks to the Province’s Brownfield Renewal Funding Program.

“Richmond is a thriving city thanks to local business and the continual stream of international visitors coming through our airport,” says Richmond East MLA Linda Reid, “It is important that we develop our land to better serve the community’s economy and through the Brownfield Renewal Program, we are reinforcing Richmond as a major industry producer.”

The Ahoy Industrial Corporation Industrial will receive $40,000 for a preliminary site investigation into an industrial area located at 13451 Vulcan Way, within the City of Richmond. The future use of the site is slated for further industrial use to reinforce Richmond as a major industrial employment centre and a predominate location for airport-serving businesses. This site previously housed industrial, manufacturing and forestry companies, and was last used for manufacturing to produce exhaust tubing. The area has now become underutilized. 

Brownfields are abandoned, vacant, derelict or underutilized commercial and industrial properties, where past actions have resulted in actual or perceived contamination. These are sites that have great potential for redevelopment when the issue of contamination is addressed.

In March 2007, the Province announced its Brownfield Renewal Strategy, which included the multi-million Brownfield Renewal Funding Program. In April 2010, the Province announced the third intake for the program and applicants were invited to apply by May 19, 2010. Last year the program approved 17 projects totalling more than $1.6 million.

The B.C. Brownfield Renewal Strategy is designed to encourage more brownfield redevelopment across British Columbia. The strategy helps reduce risk and uncertainty in brownfield redevelopment.  The funding program supports the initial environmental work by providing up to $40,000 for preliminary site investigations and up to $125,000 for other types of environmental work. Eligible applicants include First Nations, local governments, non-profits, private companies and individuals.

For more information on the BC Brownfield Renewal Strategy, please visit www.brownfieldrenewal.gov.bc.ca.

For more news and information on Richmond East, visit Linda’s website www.lindareidmla.bc.ca

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