by Paul Tuthill, WAMC Public Radio 

The first worker cooperative commercial greenhouse in Massachusetts is about to begin production on what was once a badly contaminated industrial site in Springfield.

Lettuce with the label “Grown in Indian Orchard” will soon be in the produce aisles of some local stores and in salads made for cafeterias in public schools and hospitals.

Full production is expected to begin next month at Wellspring Harvest, the 15,000-square foot state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse built on a former brownfields site in Springfield’s Indian Orchard neighborhood.

…

For the entire article, see

http://wamc.org/post/greenhouse-crops-will-come-former-brownfields-site-0

by Aleesia Forni, Westfair Online

City officials have put a call out for developers to revamp a brownfield site near the Peekskill waterfront.

The city issued a request for proposals in April to find an “experienced” developer to transform an 11.5-acre parcel between Lower South Street and Route 9, south of Louisa Street and Travis Lane.

“There’s been a dialogue ongoing between developers and also Realtors … that indicates that people are investigating the property,” said Jim Pinto, the city’s economic development specialist.

…

For the entire article, see

https://westfaironline.com/102486/peekskill-aims-to-redevelop-property-on-lower-soutstreet/

by Davis Dunavin,  WSHU Public Radio (CT)

The EPA and Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will start work this year to clean up a contaminated former softball field in Stratford. It’s part of an EPA effort to spend nearly $80 million on brownfield restoration in Connecticut.

The field is behind the former Raymark automotive brake facility - and it was once home to a women’s softball team called the Raybestos Brakettes. Today it’s scattered with debris and graffiti-covered storage containers.

…

For the entire article, see

http://wshu.org/post/epa-rehab-longtime-stratford-superfund-site#stream/0

by Mary Ellen Godin, Meriden Record-Journal (CT) 

The city continues to receive more funding to help clean up the former Meriden-Wallingford Hospital before turning it over to a developer for revitalization.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded $200,000 to Meriden for brownfield cleanup at the building vacant for 20 years, the EPA announced Wednesday. 

The federal money will be used to remove two underground storage tanks and hazardous materials from the former boiler room at 1 King Place, according to economic development director Juliet Burdelski.

Meriden is among 221 grants awarded nationwide totaling $54.3 million, and the only municipality in Connecticut. 

…

For the entire article, see

http://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/Meriden/Meriden-News/EPA-awards-$200-000-for-former-city-hospital-cleanup.html

by Ripon Advance News Service 

U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) on April 23 introduced bipartisan legislation that would authorize tax deductions toward the cleanup and redevelopment of America’s roughly half-a-million brownfields, which are former industrial or commercial sites that may have environmental contamination. 

“As mayor of Dayton, I developed brownfields to reinvest in our city and spur economic growth, including the building of the Dayton Dragons stadium,” Rep. Turner said. “I know firsthand how important brownfields are for communities looking to rebuild. Our bill extends the brownfields tax credit to help cities like Dayton continue to grow.”

The Brownfields Redevelopment Tax Incentive Reauthorization Act of 2018, H.R. 5579, would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend expensing of environmental remediation costs through 2021. U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) joined Turner in introducing H.R. 5579, which has been referred to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.

…

For the entire article, see

https://riponadvance.com/stories/turner-bill-revive-tax-break-revitalize-nations-brownfields/

by Rebekah Sherry, WSHU Public Radio (NY)

On Long Island, Suffolk County has sold the abandoned Hubbard Power and Light plant in Bay Shore. The County had been paying taxes on the property since 1996. 

Vincent Trapani bought the almost two-acre site for $343,000s, which is a little more than what Suffolk County was paying the Town of Islip every year in taxes.

Trapani has no specific plans for the land yet. “Let’s see what the opportunities are, but more than anything: what’s gonna give us the return? And the return I want is jobs.”

…

For the entire article, see

http://wshu.org/post/23-year-old-li-brownfield-be-rehabbed-developer#stream/0

by Larry Robinson, Watertown Daily Times (NY)

The city is making inroads on a project to expand water and sewer infrastructure to the former Diamond International paper mill and Standard Shade Roller industrial sites along the St. Lawrence River in hopes of making the properties more marketable to developers.

The water and sewer effort, referred to as St. Lawrence Shores Infrastructure, is being aided by money from two separate grants - a $30,000 consolidated funding application grant through the state Department of Environmental Conservation and a $250,000 grant through the Northern Border Regional Commission, according to Ogdensburg Planning and Development Director Andrea L. Smith.

Ms. Smith said the city is using both funding sources for preliminary and final engineering reports that assess the existing water and wastewater systems in the area, and then to design a plan to expand those capabilities to accommodate future development.

…

For the entire article, see

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news05/ogdensburg-improving-infrastructure-at-old-factories-site-to-boost-riverfront-development-opportunities-20180413

by Jim Krencik, Batavia Daily News 

A parcel looked at for creekside apartments, recreational activities and an expanded ice arena is the latest target for the City of Batavia’s economic development.

Creek Park LLC, a Batavia Development Corporation subsidiary, now has officers, a $25,000 budget and BDC authorization to negotiate for the purchase of 60 Evans St. The vacant parcel, located behind the Falleti Ice Arena, would be marketed to developers after environmental reviews are conducted at the site.

The week-old LLC conducted its first meeting Thursday, largely in an executive session BDC President Pier Cipollone said was for the discussion of real estate transactions. As a newly-appointed co-manager of the Creek Park LLC - alongside BDC Director Julie Pacatte - Cipollone said the ideas he’s heard for the site are enticing.

…

For the entire article, see

http://www.thedailynewsonline.com/bdn01/city-takes-steps-toward-buying-creekside-parcel-20180413

by Jim McConville, Martinsburg Journal (WV)

Strike while the iron is still hot.…

Although Martinsburg Business Manager Mark Baldwin didn’t exactly use those terms, his intent was essentially the same in advising prospective developers to take advantage of the remaining $98,000 left in Martinsburg’s $400,00 Brownfields Assessment Grant awarded to the city in 2015 by the Environmental Protection Agency to spark restoration of vacant and blighted industrial buildings in the city’s downtown area.

Held at the J. Oakley Seibert City Council Chambers, the informational session is part of the three-year Martinsburg Mills & Rail Corridor Revitalization Brownfields Project.

...

For the entire article, see

http://www.journal-news.net/news/local-news/2018/04/martinsburg-brownfields-development-projects-spark-interest/

By Trevan J Houser, Clean Earth Inc., BCONE Advisory Board

Allentown, PA – OK, I was wrong. I admit it – I was flat out wrong!  You see, when I was “volunteered” to attend this BCONE Brownfield Event in December of 2017, I was less than thrilled. Arts on Brownfields – I mean, I’m an engineer. What possible value can I gain from attending a Brownfields Event about Arts? So this is where one of those Emoji’s with the top of my head blowing off would fit in nicely!

Bridgeworks Conference Room full of BCONE "Brownfielders"

So this was arguably the best Brownfield event I have ever attended. OK, so there were two (2) breweries, a meadery (honey wine or mead), and a distillery involved, but they weren’t the best part! The event started with a quick overview of the day’s activities at the former Mack Truck factory, now redeveloped as the Bridgeworks Enterprise Center. 

Next we boarded a nice charter bus for a short ride to the former Simons Silk Mill.  The Site is being redeveloped with apartments and some retail/commercial with a beautiful trout stream running just nearby.

View of Böser Geist Brewing Company at the former Simons Silk Mill

The Böser Geist Brewing Co. opened a tad early to serve us a mighty tasty beer. They feature their own varieties as well as other local favorites.

Then back on the Bus to the former Bethlehem Steel Plant, now home to Sands Casino Resort and the ArtsQuest Center at Steel Stacks. WOW – how cool is this place. With the Sands Casino occupying one end of the Site and the ArtsQuest Center on the other end, they’ve got it all covered. ArtsQuest is a concert, film, festival, arts class, camp, and team building resource with quite an impressive visual backdrop of large blast furnaces. 

Former Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces serving as ArtsQuest at Steel Stacks backdrop

We toured the ArtsQuest Center first then over to the blast furnaces viewed from the elevated catwalk. Can’t wait to see a concert here!

So if that was not enough, we finished the day back at the Bridgeworks facility with some informational sessions and wrap-up. Then the food arrived and the HiJinx Brewery and Colony Meadery opened and we enjoyed some very fine local craft. 

So I learned my lesson. An engineer can learn something at an Arts event and I’ll never turn down another “volunteer” assignment. Cheers!

Click here to view the photo gallery for this event.