In preparing to attract investment at brownfield sites, addressing risks upfront is key. Redevelopment of brownfields in economically distressed areas can present additional risks or constraints that are unique to the environmental and financial concerns of a project. These risks, whether they be environmental, physical or financial, can seem daunting. By taking a calculated approach, however, they can be managed and addressed as part of the redevelopment process. This webinar will discuss alternative ways to address risks and liabilities related to a brownfield property. In addition, in order to dispel the financial risks of a project, the webinar will also discuss the development of a brownfield investment package that provides property details in a way that attracts potential investment. Examples of risk management approaches and brownfield investment packages will be provided, as well as a discussion of useful tools to support the risk management process and attracting investment for sites in economically distressed areas.

Presenters:

Michael Taylor, Vita Nuova, LLC
Michael Taylor, President of Vita Nuova LLC, a national consultancy, leads the repositioning and disposition of complex sites including former nuclear sites, refineries, chemical facilities and sites with significant stigma due to off-site contamination or other issues. Vita Nuova has become known as a specialist in creating value where none exists and developing approaches to long-term sustainable outcomes for all parties. Mr. Taylor has a broad background in environmental science, planning, real estate, stakeholder engagement and sustainability. He chaired the ASTM task group for the National Standard on Sustainable Brownfields Redevelopment and served on the US EPA National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee from 1998-2002. He has trained over 3,000 local economic development, state and federal officials in real estate and redevelopment of contaminated properties, co-authored numerous publications and guidance for US EPA and others and contributed to national brownfields, RCRA and superfund redevelopment policy. He was a graduate Rockefeller fellow at Yale University, where he studied Environmental Science, Public Policy and Ethics. He graduated Cum Laude in Urban Planning and Economics from Roanoke College, is a certified planner with the American Planning Association, and a full member of the Urban Land Institute.

Patrick Rowe, Vita Nuova, LLC (rowe@vitanuova.net)
Patrick is a public finance and real estate development professional with over 15 years of experience. Prior to working for Vita Nuova, Patrick served in the City of Fort Collins Economic Development Office, where he was the primary staff person to the City's Urban Renewal Authority, and managed other redevelopment focused undertakings, such as drafting the City's Metropolitan District Policy, facilitating the creation of the City's first Business Improvement District, managing reuse/redevelopment grants, and acting as liaison to the development community. Patrick is a graduate of Colorado State University with a business administration degree with concentrations in finance and real estate.

Will Warren, Vita Nuova, LLC
Will Warren is an Economic Development Consultant with Vita Nuova and a Certified Economic Developer (CECD) through the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). He brings over a decade of development experience to the Vita Nuova Team. His past development experience has allowed him to work in the public and non-profits sectors at the local, regional, state and federal level, creating economic and community development opportunities resulting in increased job growth and the creation of business investment.

Through his career, he has managed public and private development projects, brownfield redevelopment programs, strategic planning processes and developed economic and community development strategies for local and regional entities. Prior to economic development consulting, Mr. Warren was previously a Development and Finance Analyst for the City of Cleveland. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from Western Kentucky University and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Kentucky.

Jim Rocco, Vita Nuova, LLC
Jim Rocco's expertise and primary interests are in multi-criteria structured decision making and the management, communication, and resolution of environmental risks related to brownfield and other environmentally impacted properties. His focus includes the design, specification, and development of processes and software applications to support environmental risk management and decision making and the accessibility, presentation, and dissemination of information through the use of geographic information systems (GIS) and tabular databases. Mr. Rocco has extensive experience and involvement in the development of technical solutions for environmental risk management and the implementation of structured decision making in a multi-stakeholder environment to support corrective action and redevelopment. He has worked with stakeholders at all levels, including federal and state environmental regulators, and communities surrounding facilities. He has developed and negotiated liability transfer mechanisms including the application of institutional and engineering controls associated with the transfer and redevelopment of over 300 sites in 17 states. He has actively supported and participated in the development of environmental covenants as a means of addressing long-term care for institutional and engineering controls.

Moderator:

Aimee Storm, U.S. EPA, Office of Brownfield and Land Revitalization (storm.aimee@epa.gov or 202-566-0633)
Aimee Storm is EPA's Land Revitalization Coordinator within EPA's Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR). Her work supports community-led redevelopment of contaminated properties and associated neighborhood revitalization strategies. Prior to joining OBLR, Aimee worked on projects that promote green and healthy buildings and sustainable development approaches within EPA Region V's Chicago office. She also worked with EPA's Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office, where she coordinated EPA's land reuse and revitalization efforts on federally-owned properties, including military base redevelopment. Aimee holds Masters Degrees in City & Regional Planning and Business Administration.

Webinar Slides and References:

• Slide Presentation for Jim Rocco, Patrick Rowe and Will Warren; Vita Nuova, LLC (4.12MB/PDF)

Webinar Slides and References:

• Slide Presentation for Jim Rocco, Patrick Rowe and Will Warren; Vita Nuova, LLC (4.12MB/PDF)

Additional Resources:

• Revitalization Ready Guide - Final Draft