Kara A. Acri, APR

Brownfields can be redeveloped into community assets in Appalachia. Insisting this was even possible to industry insiders just a decade ago would have likely invoked raised eyebrows -- at a minimum -- followed by hefty doses of skepticism. Without hesitation, experts well-versed in economic development and real estate could rattle off in quick order a laundry list of the challenges to redeveloping brownfields in Appalachia: legally-complicated and environmentally-decrepit sites left wasting… Show more

Brownfields can be redeveloped into community assets in Appalachia. Insisting this was even possible to industry insiders just a decade ago would have likely invoked raised eyebrows -- at a minimum -- followed by hefty doses of skepticism. Without hesitation, experts well-versed in economic development and real estate could rattle off in quick order a laundry list of the challenges to redeveloping brownfields in Appalachia: legally-complicated and environmentally-decrepit sites left wasting away for too long; no available funding resources or deep pockets interested in paying for cleanup. Show less

Have you applied for federal brownfield funding lately? Perhaps you've noticed an increasing emphasis on incorporating sustainable concepts, equitable development and other livability-focused activities into these funding proposals. It's a shift in approach designed to support growing stronger, more sustainable communities nationwide, and if you want to secure federal funding for your future brownfields projects it's time to start paying attention to the details now.

When Orville and Wilbur Wright began constructing the first of their two airplane manufacturing hangars in 1910, the property they found just 2.5 miles west of downtown Dayton, Ohio was nothing more than a farmer’s field.

Fast-forward 103 years and today you’ll find the original hangars tucked in among more than 1.2 million square feet of an empty former Delphi manufacturing plant in the Arlington Heights neighborhood of Dayton.

Shuttered in 2009, the current maze of 20… Show more

When Orville and Wilbur Wright began constructing the first of their two airplane manufacturing hangars in 1910, the property they found just 2.5 miles west of downtown Dayton, Ohio was nothing more than a farmer’s field.

Fast-forward 103 years and today you’ll find the original hangars tucked in among more than 1.2 million square feet of an empty former Delphi manufacturing plant in the Arlington Heights neighborhood of Dayton.

Shuttered in 2009, the current maze of 20 manufacturing buildings covers the majority of the 54-acre property and completely obscures the Wright hangars – along with three additional identical buildings built before General Motors (GM) acquired the property in 1919 – from public view. While the buildings are well-known among aviation enthusiasts across the country, the average citizen in Dayton has been largely unaware of their existence – until now. Show less

For almost 70 years, the former General Motors Baltimore Assembly Plant produced almost every type of car in the GM lineup from the Impala to the Pontiac GTO. Located adjacent to the Seagirt and Dundalk marine terminals at the Port of Baltimore, Md., the 182-acre, 3.2 million-square-foot assembly plant provided jobs and sustained the local community until GM closed the facility in 2005.

Today, this former automotive manufacturing property is well on its way to redevelopment as the… Show more

For almost 70 years, the former General Motors Baltimore Assembly Plant produced almost every type of car in the GM lineup from the Impala to the Pontiac GTO. Located adjacent to the Seagirt and Dundalk marine terminals at the Port of Baltimore, Md., the 182-acre, 3.2 million-square-foot assembly plant provided jobs and sustained the local community until GM closed the facility in 2005.

Today, this former automotive manufacturing property is well on its way to redevelopment as the Chesapeake Commerce Center— a $150-million business park that incorporates a number of sustainable design elements, including the recycling of 96% of demolition debris from the site and the construction of a Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified building as part of the overall redevelopment. Show less