Brownfield Strategy and Community Improvement Plan

The City of Greater Sudbury’s Brownfield Strategy and Community Improvement Plan helps breathe new life into vacant commercial and industrial properties – otherwise known as brownfields. Repurposing them improves the environment, stimulates economic development, increases the municipal assessment and tax revenue base and makes our city look better.

Urban Brownfields

Urban brownfields are unused properties that were previously used for commercial or industrial work such as old manufacturing sites, gas stations and more.  We have four programs to help reduce upfront costs associated with redevelopment of urban brownfields:

  • Tax Assistance Program: defers or cancels 100% of the municipal and education portion of the property tax (education portion subject to Minister of Finance approval) during the rehabilitation period and development period (up to 18 months).  The amount of assistance provided under this program varies.
  • Landfill Tipping Fee Rebate Program: reduces landfill tipping fees from $72 to $36 per metric tonne for impacted soil being removed from a brownfield, as long as it can be used at the City’s landfill site.  The City will provide approximately $200,000 in funding under this program annually.  The total amount of funding provided to each property is $40,000.
  • Planning and Building Permit Fee Rebate Program: refunds all or part of planning and building permit fees in the redevelopment of a brownfield, after certain performance criteria are met.  The City will provide approximately $350,000 in funding under this program annually. The total amount of funding provided to each property will be $70,000.
  • Tax Increment Equivalent Grant Program: grants 100% of the incremental increase in the municipal portion of the property tax revenue associated with a project for a period of up to five years.  The amount of assistance provided under this program varies.

These programs can be used along with other incentive programs offered by the city or other levels of government.  The total amount of incentives shall not exceed eligible costs.

Eligibility for Urban Brownfield Incentives

To be eligible, the property must:

  • be located in the community improvement project area;
  • be an urban property;
  • have been previously used for commercial or industrial purposes;
  • be vacant, derelict or at risk;
  • be the subject of a residential or mixed use re-use or redevelopment proposal; and,
  • have a “failed” Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessment.

Rural Brownfields

Rural brownfields are properties outside of our urban areas that have abandoned mine sites with mine hazards.  We have two programs to help reduce upfront costs associated with the rehabilitation and redevelopment of rural brownfields:

  • Non-Urban Tax Increment Equivalent Grant Program: grants all or a portion of the incremental increase in the municipal portion of the property tax revenue associated with a project for a period of up to ten years.  The amount of assistance provided under this program varies.
  • Tax Assistance Program: defers or cancels 100% of the municipal and education portion of the property tax (education portion subject to Minister of Finance approval) during the rehabilitation period and development period (up to 18 months).  The amount of assistance provided under this program varies.

These programs can be used along with other incentive programs offered by the city or other levels of government.  The total amount of incentives shall not exceed eligible costs.

Eligibility for Rural Brownfield Incentives

To be eligible, the property must: 

  • be located in the community improvement project area;
  • be a non-urban property;
  • contain an abandoned mine site(s);
  • contain mine hazard(s) that require rehabilitation to the prescribed standards of the Mining Act;
  • be the subject of a proposal for a mining and mining-related use or other industrial use that will not preclude future mining activities and which conforms with the Official Plan; and,
  • proposed to be used for a use that would have a significant net new economic impact.

Apply for an Urban or Rural Brownfield Incentive Program

Fill out either the

Send your completed application form to Melissa Riou, Senior Planner.