A typical Wisconsin community has many productive commercial and industrial sites that are valuable assets. Those businesses provide needed jobs and income to the residents and the tax base necessary to fund local services that raise the quality of life and help upgrade community infrastructure. Over time, these properties are bought and sold, used and reused, without complications.
Unfortunately, not every commercial or industrial site will remain productive or even valuable. Some properties remain idle and undesirable due to the visual condition of the property. They are eyesores and have dilapidated buildings, poorly kept grounds and trash.
But it may be what can’t be seen that makes the property undesirable. Depending on what these sites were formerly used for, contaminants such as petroleum, metals, asbestos, pesticides, PCBs and solvents could be found.