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Redevelopment Economics | |
Redevelopment Economics teaming with Stromberg/Garrigan & Associates, Inc on Ranson, WV Brownfields Areawide Plan
CHP and Brownfields - Redevelopment Economics teaming with Pace University Energy and Climate Center and Northeast-Midwest Institute to analyze potential tie-ins
Redevelopment Economics part of Maul-Foster team, chosen by the Washington State Department of Ecology to re-energize and improve Washington's brownfields programs
Redevelopment Economics produces a Cost-Benefit Analysis for TIGER Infrastructure Improvements for Westport Waterfront
Redevelopment Economics retained by the City of Rochester to analyze the feasibility of using tax increment financing as the primary gap-closer for three redevelopment projects |
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Advocacy Alert - Support Federal Appropriations for Brownfields
The National Brownfields Coalition is coordinating a campaign to make Congress aware of the critical role that brownfields investments play in overcoming barriers to productive reuse of land. The Coalition has drafted generic letters that can serve as the starting point for communities and private entities that want to make sure their elected representatives recognize the multiple benefits of modest federal investments in re-tooling abandoned industrial sites for new uses. See the EPA Brownfields letter and the EPA and HUD letter.
The House Continuing Resolution cut the EPA Brownfields Program by $68 million relative to the President's FY 2011 budget and "zeroed" the HUD BEDI and HUD 108 programs.
The National Brownfields Coalition has posted the members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.
Almost lost in the rancor over the FY 11 budget, the President's budget for FY 12 proposes $175 million for the EPA Brownfields Program, essentially level with FY 10. See this chart for the historic funding levels of the federal brownfields programs.
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Join the National Brownfields Coalition for Brownfields 2011 Breakfast Event
Heard on the Hill with food!!! On Tuesday, April 5 the National Brownfields Coalition will be co-sponsoring a Brownfields 2011 breakfast event with the the National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals (NALGEP). We will hold a "Heard on the Hill" panel, following a food and schmoozing session which starts at 7:30 AM, Room 113C at the Convention Center. Please rsvp to NALGEP. |
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THE PARKS, OPEN SPACE, AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUE
Are urban parks re-emerging as a cornerstone of economic redevelopment strategies? We devote the remainder of this issue of the newsletter to exploring some of the creative ways that brownfields redevelopment can be tied together with parks, open space, and green infrastructure.
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Parks Take Center Stage in Redevelopment Projects
"The bottom line is that parks are useful in leveraging and shaping new development around them," says Kathy Blaha, a consultant on parks and public space issues in cities. "Parks in Houston, Chicago and New York - created out of brownfields and underused sites - are generating millions of dollars in adjacent and nearby new development; while ground leases, corporate sponsorship and the linking of parks to revenue-generating assets such as parking garages, rental venues and concessions are some of the newer tools being used by city park agencies and their private partners to pay for parks' operations and maintenance."
As parks are considered a more important part of redevelopment strategies more sophisticated private public partnerships, sources of support and management strategies are developing to leverage their benefit. Philadelphia, once known as "Workshop of the World" is facilitating the transition from industrialization to a knowledge based economy by converting underutilized sites, such as Frankford Creek) into greenways and inter-connected rail systems; Miami is also linking parks and greenways with transit development.
Parks are also getting smarter about sustainability, energy use and green infrastructure. The vision for Canal Park in Washington, D.C. includes solar panels that will generate power for adjacent development. The City of Milwaukee is solving flooding and stormwater problems with parks and trails as green infrastructure including conversion of brownfields to parks.
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EPA Resources for Stormwater and Green Infrastructure
EPA lists numerous resources on the Green Infrastructure web-page. Brownfields redevelopment often involves complexity in meeting stormwater regulations, either because of contaminated soils or because the densities preclude significant pervious surface. Resources for those wrestling with these issues:
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Supplemental Environmental Projects Fund Brownfields-to-Park Projects
EPA explains Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEP) as follows: "As part of a settlement, an alleged violator may voluntarily agree to undertake an environmentally beneficial project related to the violation in exchange for mitigation of the penalty to be paid." See EPA's guidance on Brownfield sites and SEP's.
According to the Trust for Public Land, the East Boston Greenway project received "substantial funds for the clean-up came from a mitigation settlement between EPA Region 1 and the Massachusetts Highway Department after the greenway was designated a SEP."
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Baltimore's Downtown Open Space Plan as Key to Business Investment
Tax Increment Financing to be Considered as Implementation Source
Baltimore's Downtown Partnership unveiled a plan to create more than $100 million worth of new parks and public plazas throughout the central business district. The plan outlines a broad list of ideas for improving existing open spaces, creating new ones and using "green corridors" to connect parks and plazas. The plan is designed to re-energize the heart of downtown as an attractive place for business investment, aiding older sections to compete with trendy waterfront locations. Downtown Partnership activities are supported by a special assessment district which might be used to finance part of the open space improvements, but other mechanisms, such as tax increment financing will also be examined. See this article. |
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East Gainesville Trail and Park Have "Symbiotic Relationship" to Redevelopment
Creative Stormwater Plan Serves Multiple Objectives |
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With $14 million committed for cleanup ($2.8 from the State of Florida petroleum cleanup fund and $11.5 from the property owner), the East Gainesville Depot Park is poised to move forward. US EPA, which provided site assessment funding, described the project's multiple purpose stormwater element as follows: "The centerpiece of the project is a centrally located stormwater park... The initial concept for the park envisions walking paths, boardwalks, interpretive exhibits, and native vegetation to recreate a natural North Florida wetland landscape. Ponds on the park site will naturally treat stormwater and reduce contaminants entering Paynes Prairie. The stormwater facility will reduce downtown redevelopment costs by preserving limited land area for business expansion rather than for individual stormwater detention facilities." City officials characterized the park as "symbiotic" to the surrounding redevelopment plans. |
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Arlington's Long Bridge Brownfield-to-Park Project Breaks Ground
Arlington County, Virginia kicked off Long Bridge Park, its 46-acre brownfield on the edge of Pentagon City that it hopes will become a major attraction. The 46-acre Park, located just off the Potomac River, was contaminated with "differing levels of lead and PCBs" and had long served as an industrial site, including a brick factory and staging area for construction of the Pentagon. The remediation plan is posted here.
In its place, the County is building "a distinctive showplace of environmentally sound development, featuring attractive public green spaces, high-quality outdoor recreation facilities and environmentally responsible structures." Planning for the project began back in 2001, completion is expected next summer.
The initial funding, $50 million of $90 million project, came from a County bond issue. The County is exploring public-private partnerships for the remainder. For more information see the County's website. |
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NYC Fresh Kills Landfill-to-Park Project - 30 Year Plan Well Underway
At 2,200 acres, Fresh Kills Park will be almost three times the size of Central Park and the largest park developed in New York City in over 100 years. The transformation of what was formerly the world's largest landfill into a productive and beautiful cultural destination will make the park a symbol of renewal and an expression of how our society can restore balance to its landscape.
Landfill gases are being harvested, providing 22,000 Staten Island residents with heat, while generating $11 million annually to the project.
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Evans Paull
Executive Director, National Brownfields Coalition, and Principal, Redevelopment Economics
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