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  • 19 Jul 2018 9:55 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Jamie Stover, WFMZ TV-69 News (PA/NJ)

    The Easton Iron Works and Metal Company has seen better days. 

    The city has filed around 20 citations against the now deceased property owner's estate. 

    "It's mostly maintenance of the property, the weeds and all that, the structures, things like that," said Mayor Sal Panto.

    Once upon a time it was inspiration for artists like Karl Stirner, behind metal sculptures that now sit elsewhere in the city.

    For the entire story, see

    http://www.wfmz.com/news/lehigh-valley/future-unclear-for-former-easton-iron-works/763642828

  • 19 Jul 2018 9:53 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    A special state designation will allow Flushing to transform 62 acres of industrial wasteland into a new district with affordable housing. 

    By Danielle Woodward, Flushing-Murray Hill Patch (NY) 

    Acres of industrial wasteland that have long line Flushing's waterfront could soon give way to a vibrant new downtown area complete with affordable housing, thanks to a special designation from the state. 

    Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in June designated 62 acres of land in west downtown Flushing as a "Brownfield Opportunity Area," a title that helps neighborhoods fast-track transformations of polluted industrial sites into housing or business developments that could drive economic growth. 

    "This Brownfield Opportunity Area program gives local leaders the power to bring about much-needed change to properties that have been neglected within their communities," Cuomo said.

    For the entire article, see

    https://patch.com/new-york/flushing-murray-hill/plans-redevelop-flushing-waterfront-get-state-approval

  • 18 Jul 2018 1:06 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Steve Wilson

    Federal Opportunity Zones will attract billions of dollars in capital investment from the private sector, U.S. Senator Cory Booker predicted Monday, boosting the prospects of both businesses and New Jersey’s poorest communities.

    Gov. Phil Murphy said his administration jumped on the opportunity the new federal program presented, getting zones designated in 75 communities in New Jersey.  “It’s the only part of the tax bill that we like,” Murphy said, referring to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. “We are head-over-heels in love with this.”

    The two were part of a panel discussion at the Investors Symposium hosted by Choose New Jersey at Rutgers-Newark. TV news anchor Steve Adubato led the discussion.

    NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka called the program “a great opportunity for public private partnerships and an effective part of a comprehensive economic development strategy.

    “While the success of the Opportunity Zone program may ultimately depend on private investment commitment in each community, we feel strongly it can be an effective economic development tool that will help small businesses grow and create private sector jobs in some of the state’s most economically challenged cities,” Siekerka said.

    Federal Opportunity Zones allow for investments to be made in certain communities in return for reduced taxes on the capital gains they earn. If the investments are kept going for 10 years or more, investors could

    Over 200 investors, economic developers and business and community leaders attended, according to Murphy’s office.

    The idea is to get “parked” capital invested back into areas that are emerging economically.

    “When it’s all said and done, I think the capital you are going to attract to New Jersey won’t be measured in the millions, or even in the hundreds of millions.  I think your efforts will bring billions of dollars of new investment into our state, grow our tax base, and create more revenue for all,” Booker said.

    The program will be run by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. For more details, visit the department’s website here.

  • 11 Jul 2018 3:08 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Steve Dwyer 

    Armed with a mission to create a network of worker-owned enterprises as a vehicle to lift people out of poverty, a greenhouse in Springfield, Mass. built on a brownfield is proving to have a multi-faceted set of advantages -- from reducing the carbon footprint to sourcing fresh produce locally to providing an economic boost to the local community.  

    The project is regarded as the first worker cooperative commercial greenhouse in Massachusetts, and it recently commenced production on a former contaminated industrial site in this sleepy community west of Boston. 

    Lettuce with the label “Grown in Indian Orchard” is going to be shipped to produce aisles of some local stores—as well as in salads made for cafeterias in public schools and hospitals.

    Full production is commencing this summer at Wellspring Harvest, a 15,000-square foot state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse built on a former brownfield site in Springfield’s Indian Orchard neighborhood.

    Fred Rose, co-director of Wellspring Cooperative Corp., the parent organization of the greenhouse said in a local news report that the project was four years in the making as it took a long time to execute the business plan, perform site selection before a year of construction was able to start. Wellspring raised $250,000 of the $1.5 million for the greenhouse project through a direct public offering to individual investors.

    Built on the site of a former valve factory where components for nuclear weapons were manufactured, the greenhouse culminates the redevelopment of blighted land once contaminated by radioactivity. 

    The greenhouse will produce a variety of lettuces, greens and herbs year-round for customers that include the Springfield Public Schools, a medical center, a hospital, supermarkets and regional food co-ops.

    The principals said demand is strong and are confident the greenhouse will meet its sales projections, as fresh produce can be picked and be on the shelf the same day. Produce shipped from California loses half its nutritional value in the week it takes to arrive to its final destination, so this alternative makes food healthier, fresher and locally sourced—an ideal farm-to-table scenario. 

    The greenhouse also helps reduce the local carbon footprint imposition and adds an economic component to the local community, including jobs.  

    The principals said the greenhouse is as much “machine as a building.” That’s because a motorized roof and a series of wall vents control temperature and humidity. The flow of nutrients and oxygen to the plants is mechanically regulated, and vegetable beds sit on tables. A monorail system with baskets connects the growing and processing areas, so the produce never touches the ground.

    With lettuce there’s concern about contamination so growing hydroponically serves as a clean, local and secure solution. The principals said there are tentative plans to expand production in a few years to include cucumbers and tomatoes.

    There are other examples of how going green in an urban setting can provide a major boost in several aspects. 

    In 2015, Newark, N.J. became the home to the largest indoor vertical farm in the world. The RBH Group, Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group, Prudential Financial Inc. and AeroFarms all partnered with Newark city officials and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority on what is now a $30-million renovation that converted an old industrial site into a vertical urban farm.

    The site, a 69,000 square foot converted steel factory, serves as the headquarters for AeroFarms, a company that grows leafy greens in indoor, urban facilities. The facility was reported to be producing about two million pounds of green vegetables and herbs each year and brought a host of new jobs to the city. 

    So many other examples of green development, including green roof systems, are springing up within the BCONE region and across the country, operating on a theory that you can make even more of a compelling difference within your redevelopment plan when you position green on a former brownfield.  

  • 11 Jul 2018 2:05 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By ANDY GARDNER, North Country Now (NY)

    The way the Town Council handles zoning of the former General Motors plant could affect their ability to receive Brownfield Opportunity Area funding through the Department of State, a DOS official told the board on Wednesday.

    Designation as a BOA "sets the stage for future support, funding preference, and removes some of the risk and uncertainty associated with site redevelopment," according to a document from the St. Lawrence County Planning Office.

    A Brownfield Opportunity Area study of the site, which was recently completed and made public, outlines numerous uses for the former industrial lot, once environmental remediation is complete. The county Planning Office and other local people and entities gave input into writing the plan. Department of State funded it, somewhere in the range of $360,000 to $400,000, according to Dave MacLeod from the DOS, who spoke at the meeting.

    He urged the town to rezone the lot, because, according to him, many of the uses in the plan aren't allowed under the current industrial designation.

    For the entire article, see

    http://northcountrynow.com/business/former-gm-plant-massena-could-qualify-brownfield-cleanup-support-funding-0237318


  • 11 Jul 2018 2:04 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Anthony Salamone, Allentown Morning Call (NY)

    The economy in this Bucks County borough once revolved around U.S. Gauge, a manufacturer of aircraft-measuring instruments established in the early 20th century.

    The company, which employed as many as 1,700 people at its Sellersville plant in the mid-1980s, saw employment dip a decade later to just 600 workers. By the early 2000s, the manufacturing campus, then owned by Ametek, had closed, its sprawling buildings leveled.

    On Thursday, county officials and others celebrated a new beginning for the brownfield site with the groundbreaking of a $8 million plant and headquarters for Solar Manufacturing Inc., a maker of vacuum heat-treating furnaces.


    For the entire article, see

    http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-biz-bucks-county-solar-manufacturing-groundbreaking-20180619-story.html

  • 11 Jul 2018 2:02 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Kristin F. Daltonkdalton, Staten Island Live (NY)

    Following two years of work on the West Shore, the 179-acre area has been designated a Brownfield Opportunity Area, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced. 

    Recommendations from the study include major site renovations or developments for seven underutilized properties on the 179 acres, roadway consolidation and infrastructure improvements, and expanded public transit that will serve the Amazon and IKEA facilities.

    The study paid careful attention to creating a district flood resiliency plan, which anticipates flooding issues associated with sea-level rising water in the West Shore's low-lying areas that currently have limited sewer and stormwater infrastructure.

    ...

    For the entire article, see

    https://www.silive.com/news/2018/06/west_shore_brownfield_grant.html


  • 11 Jul 2018 1:58 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Area Development News 

    Construction stated on GlassWorks Business Park in Clarion, Clarion County, Pennsylvania. The $39 million project will convert a 28.5-acre brownfield site formerly housing the Owens-Illinois Glass Plant into a compound with seven building pads ready for development.

    Property owner Miles Brothers LLC and the Clarion County Industrial Development Authority partnered to develop the land into seven pads suitable for office, warehouse, or light industrial use by installing utilities, lighting, and water and sewer infrastructure and excavating, grading, and paving the sites. DCED has committed a $1,033,214 Business in Our Sites grant and a $4,256,952 Business in Our Sites low-interest loan to the project that Miles Brothers credits for enabling the project to happen.

    At its peak, more than 1,500 Clarion-area residents worked in the Owens-Illinois Glass Plant, which manufactured a variety of glass containers like jars and bottles. It closed in 2010 after 105 years in the community, and the facility was partially demolished in 2012, leaving behind a brownfield site that requires extensive remediation.

    For the entire article, see

    http://www.areadevelopment.com/newsItems/6-18-2018/glassworks_business_parkclarion_clarion_county_pennsylvania.shtml

  • 28 Jun 2018 4:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Pete Lopez today presented New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Jersey City and Prologis, Inc. – the company responsible for the cleanup and reuse of the site – with the Excellence in Site Reuse Award. NJDEP Deputy Commissioner Debbie Mans, Jersey City Deputy Mayor Marcos Vigil and representatives from Prologis, Inc. accepted the Excellence in Site Reuse Award for work at the PJP Landfill Superfund site in Jersey City, N.J.

    The award recognizes Superfund site partners who have collaborated with EPA to support redeveloping Superfund sites in ways that are beneficial to the community and compatible with the cleanup.  The PJP Landfill Superfund site is home to a newly constructed warehouse and distribution center, continued commercial use, public open space and restored wetlands.

    “This has truly been a collaborative effort between local, state and federal agencies and the community to turn this once environmentally compromised site into an economic and community asset,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “The Excellence in Reuse award underscores how Superfund cleanups translate into tangible benefits for local communities, businesses and an area’s entire ecosystem. Redevelopment of this site will continue bringing economic, ecological and recreational benefits to the Jersey City community.”

    “This is truly an environmental success story, one in which a landfill that once was notorious for long-burning underground fires and exposed wastes has been reclaimed for productive commercial use,” DEP Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe said. “We are proud to accept this award, which acknowledges the many years of hard work the DEP – in partnership with the EPA, Jersey City and Prologis – has dedicated to turning a major environmental problem for the city into a project that is creating jobs and economic development.”

    “The City is excited to be involved with the transformation of the once blighted landfill into a viable, mixed-use waterfront property for the public to enjoy,” said Jersey City Deputy Mayor Marcos Vigil.

    “When we acquired this former landfill back in 2008, we knew it would take a great deal of tenacity and teamwork to transform a site many thought could never be developed,” said Prologis’ Senior Vice President Steve Campbell. “The key to success was a public-private partnership that allowed Prologis to work closely with Waste Management Corporation, the EPA, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey local and state political leadership and, most importantly, the local community. The outcome has been positive for both the environment and the regional economy.”

    Contact: Elias Rodriguez, (212) 637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

  • 22 Jun 2018 11:45 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Steve Dwyer

    There are a number of sports stadiums that have been built on former brownfields that get a lot of national attention—and do so because of their sheer size and overall scale. Target Field in Minneapolis, the Washington National’s ballpark are two good examples.

    However, a local community, county or township can construct indoor/outdoor sports facilities in a more modest fashion and still reap big results—such as becoming a destination magnet for local, state and regional teams to participate in tournaments. 

    If the development vision is laser-focused, the project can wrap the sports component around other profit centers, such as shopping, restaurants, museums and hotels, the latter a must as tournaments attract families who seek lodging over weekend stays. 

    This spring, a group in Somerset, N.J. said it was poised to christen a 40-acre indoor/outdoor sports facility located on remediated property on Mountain View Rd. The redevelopment has a golden opportunity to score in many of the diversified ways that have been cited. 

    Apparently, the approval process is navigating nicely, with work on the project hitting full bore this summer, according to TapInto.net, an online newspaper serving Somerset, N.J.

    Gregg Wilke, developer and owner of the Apex Sports & Events facility, also owns the HRC Gym and Fitness Center in the area, a family fitness and wellness gym offering programs and amenities for children, adults and seniors.

    The Apex project will be built adjacent to Mountain View Park, a 369-acre outdoor sports complex owned jointly by the township and Somerset County, and situated on remediated property formerly part of the Belle Mead Government Service Administration Depot, a federal government property.

    Apex will complement the adjacent Mountain View Park facilities, creating a massive sports and recreation destination not only for township sports leagues and clubs, but for similar organizations from surrounding towns and throughout the state. It will rival similar facilities in New Jersey, according to the newspaper report. 

    “At Apex, our mission is to create a state-of-the-art unique competition and training facility for Hillsborough that serves the year-round sports and recreation needs of the local families while promoting a healthy lifestyle for the community and assisting in the development of our young athletes,” Wilkie said to the online publication, adding that he hopes to open the outdoor turf fields in the spring of 2019 and the indoor complex later that year.

    The Apex complex will feature synthetic turf field designated for use by township organizations, and there will be two other synthetic turf fields installed on the 40-acre expanse. All outdoor fields will be lighted. The centerpiece will be a 210,000-square foot indoor facility including two domes. 

    The larger of the two domes will enclose a full-size indoor soccer field, also suitable for lacrosse and football. The smaller dome will be used for training programs, work outs and fitness training. There will be indoor basketball and volleyball courts, batting cages and pitching tunnels, a mezzanine viewing area, café and concessions area, multi-purpose rooms, team rooms and space for other activities, including a kids’ adventure area with rock climbing and other family-friendly activities.

    No doubt about it, sports-oriented redevelopments have a chance to carve out huge dividends to breath life into a local community—and do so across several facets. It goes to show that in executing such end uses on former brownfields, you don’t always need to "Go Big" to succeed.


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