Idle Sites Redevelopment Program

The Idle Sites Redevelopment Program is administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the state’s lead economic development agency focused on advancing business growth, community revitalization, and job creation. This program is designed to address the challenges posed by idle, abandoned, or underutilized industrial, commercial, and institutional properties across Wisconsin. These sites are often barriers to economic growth, contributing to reduced property values and diminished tax revenues. Through targeted financial support, the program seeks to transform these properties into productive assets that contribute to local economic vitality and community quality of life. The primary purpose of the program is to provide grants that support redevelopment efforts for properties that have remained idle for at least two years. By incentivizing redevelopment, the program aims to return these sites to productive use, stimulate private investment, and enhance the economic health of communities. Projects supported under this program are expected to advance sites toward shovel-ready status or improve their attractiveness to potential developers and investors. Funding is available in the form of grants with a maximum award of 250000 dollars. These funds may be used for a defined set of eligible activities including demolition, environmental remediation, and infrastructure or site-specific improvements. However, certain costs are explicitly excluded, such as new construction, indirect or soft costs, and in-kind contributions. The program also imposes a matching requirement, typically requiring applicants to provide three dollars in matching funds for every one dollar of grant funding. This requirement may be reduced to a one-to-one match for projects located in economically distressed communities. Eligibility for the program is limited to governmental entities within Wisconsin, including cities, villages, towns, counties, and tribal governments. Applicants must demonstrate ownership or legal access to the site and must provide documentation supporting the redevelopment plan. If a private developer is involved, a development agreement outlining roles, responsibilities, and financial commitments must be provided. If no developer is involved, the applicant must submit an officially approved resolution detailing the project’s goals, timeline, and required actions. The application process is continuous, meaning there is no fixed deadline, and interested applicants must first engage with a WEDC Account Manager to determine project eligibility. Upon confirmation, applicants are invited to submit a formal application through the Network Wisconsin platform. Applications undergo a formal underwriting and review process, where projects are evaluated based on criteria such as economic impact, financial feasibility, site readiness, environmental considerations, and alignment with regional economic development strategies. Successful applicants are required to comply with ongoing reporting and monitoring requirements. This includes annual performance reports detailing capital investment, site work progress, and changes in assessed property values. Recipients must maintain documentation for at least three years after the final report is submitted, and projects may be selected for audit. Through these accountability measures, the program ensures that funded projects deliver measurable economic and community development outcomes. The Idle Sites Redevelopment Program operates on a recurring basis with continuous intake, allowing communities to pursue redevelopment opportunities as they arise. Awards are limited to one per applicant per fiscal year, and funding availability is subject to annual appropriations. The program ultimately aims to catalyze redevelopment projects that leverage additional investment, reduce environmental risks, and strengthen Wisconsin’s economic landscape.

Ensure strong financial commitment and site readiness; align project with economic development goals; provide detailed cost estimates and remediation plans; demonstrate measurable community impact