Dirty Ottawa real estate may get cleanup funds

Shops and condos could soon be built on former Ottawa landfills and gas stations if the city approves a plan to help property owners clean up the sites.

Prime real estate throughout the city is being wasted because of contamination that requirescostly cleanup before construction can start, said Dennis Jacobs, the city's director of planning, environment and infrastructure policy.

'It unlocks the development potential of some very important sites throughout the built-up part of our city at really no cost to the taxpayer.' City of Ottawa official Dennis Jacobs

The corporate services committee will review a plan Tuesday targeted at developing such "brownfield" sites across the city. Jacobs estimates they number over 100 and may cost over $1 million each to remediate.

"The city is going to offer incentives to get past the hurdle of the cleanup," Jacobs said.

Specifically, the city plans to waive development fees and lower property taxes for a few years afterbuildings are finishedto cover the costs.

"It unlocks the development potential of some very important sites throughout the built-up part of our city at really no cost to the taxpayer," said Jacobs, adding that the property could be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars more in taxes annually after development.

"It's using the new value that accrues from that property to fund the developer."

If the plan is passed by the corporate services committee, it will go to council final approval on Feb. 14.

The plan was developed with a grant from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities after months of public consultationto help the city access an Ontario brownfield redevelopment funding programstarted in 2004.