CO Brownfields Conference 2007

Thursday Nov 15

Stapleton Redevelopment: Five Years of Successes
This former Denver airport site is well into its long-range plan for redevelopment into a modern, new
community. The project faced many challenges including environmental impacts from former airline operations, privately held automotive uses, and related challenges. This session will provide an overview of the realities and real estate market challenges of this project.
Tom Gleason, Forest City Stapleton
Greg Holt, DIA Environmental Services
Steve Noel, CO Division of Oil & Public Safety (moderator)

Rural Challenges into Opportunities
Abandoned gas stations, dry cleaners, landfill, plating shops, and other brownfields sites affect rural areas, but
have their own unique set of challenges and solutions.
Clarke Becker, CO Rural Development Council

Area-Wide Gas Station Redevelopment: Kansas City’s Model
Kansas City has been very successful in fostering the cleanup and redevelopment of abandoned gas stations
for sites within its communities. Andrew will share Kansas City’s model for making prime sites prime once again.
Andrew Bracker, Brownfields Coordinator, Kansas City, MO [click to view]

Finding That End Use
Site selection criteria and one corporation’s approach to addressing environmental issues; business
development in infill settings.
David Hause, McDonald’s Corporation

Funding Gas Station Redevelopment
Federal, local, and private sources of capital leverage and enable infill development. This session describes
programs and how to access these funds.
Steve McNeely, USEPA, Washington, D.C. [click to view]

Jennifer Steffes, CO Division of Oil & Public Safety [click to view]
Marilyn Hajicek, CO Division of Oil & Public Safety (moderator)

Dahlia Square Redevelopment, Denver, CO
The Park Hill neighborhood has struggled with this blighted retail center for years. Now, following environmental
cleanup from a variety of previous automotive, industrial, and other uses, the site is heading toward
redevelopment by Oakwood Homes for uses including rental and for-sale housing, along with health and child
care facilities.
Mary Hashem, Brownfields Partners
Cameron Bertron, Denver Urban Renewal Authority

Friday, Nov 16

KEYNOTE ADDRESS
ProLogis is the world’s largest owner, manager and developer of distribution facilities, operating 446.9 million
square feet of industrial space in 105 markets across North America, Asia and Europe. Headquartered in
Denver, Colorado, ProLogis is a Fortune 1000 company and a member of the S&P 500. ProLogis is committed
to becoming the global leader in sustainable design and construction. A key aspect of ProLogis’ overall
sustainable development program is the work it does at brownfield sites in North America, Asia and Europe.
Greg Weaver, Managing Director for Catellus, a

ProLogis Company [click to view]

River Point Retail Project, Sheridan, CO
An aging industrial corridor and adjacent landfill is transforming into a retail power center and source of
community pride in Sheridan’s Urban Renewal Area
John Steeler, Esq., Isaacson Rosenbaum
Rob Beery, Miller Weingarten
Tony Curcio, Walsh Environmental
Fonda Apostolopoulos, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment
Jesse Silverstein, CO Brownfields Foundation (moderator)

A National Perspective on Land Revitalization (Lunch Speaker)
A report from inside the DC beltway summarizing proactive state programs from across the U.S. that are
leveraging infill development and economic vitality.
Charlie Bartsch, ICF Consulting [click to view]

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Emerging Legal Issues Impacting Development
Recent changes in the legal and regulatory environment have significant implications for real estate
development. Important amendments to be discussed include: wetlands and the clean water act; ability to cost
recover for environmental cleanup through the courts (Avial/Atlantic Research Rulings); and vapor intrusion
pollution and strategies for minimizing liability.
Maki Iatridis, Esq. Berg Hill Greenleaf & Ruscitti LLP
Army Corp & EPA Reponses to RAPANOS Decision - Q&A

Guidance to EPA & Corp regarding Supreme Court RAPANOS Decision

EPA & Army Corp MOA

US vs Atalantic Richfield Corp, Supreme Court Decision

Scott Reisch, Esq., Hogan & Hartson LLP
Peter Nadel, (moderator)

Meth Labs in the Market
Recent state legislation is bringing clandestine methamphetamine labs to the forefront of home buyers and
realtors alike. Representatives from the CO Association of Realtors, the CO Division of Real Estate, and the
CO Dept. of Heath & Environment explore what is going on in the marketplace.
Clarissa Arellano, Government Affairs Director, Pikes Peak Association of REALTORS
Colleen Brisnehan, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment [click to view]

Marcia Waters, Colorado Division of Real Estate
Lisa Luebke, USEPA Region 8 (moderator)

Brownfields Funding
Federal, local, and private sources of capital leverage and enable infill development. This session describes
programs and how to access these funds.
Mark Walker, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment

Ted Lanzano, USEPA Region 8 [click to view]
Eric Williams, Continental Environmental Redevelopment Financial
Janice Pearson USEPA Region 8 (moderator)

Asbestos in Soil: Colorado’s New Regulations
New regulations concerning asbestos contamination in soil have significant consequences for addressing one
of Colorado’s most pervasive, and expensive, pollutants.
Colleen Brisnehan, Colorado Dept of Public Health & Environment [click to view]

Curtis Johnson, HWS
Norm Higley, Esq. [click to view]

The Role Of Land Use In A Sustainable Economy
Green building? Carbon footprints? A more livable Colorado? This session explores the emerging role of land
use and corporate responsibility in reducing the ecological impacts of business management and real estate
development.
Joe Seracuse (Moderator)
Evans Paull, NE-MW Institute (compact development and carbon footprints) [click to view]
Paul Connor, Executive Director, NALGEP (low environmental impact development) [click to view]
Emily Evans, Brown and Caldwell (corporate carbon footprint management) [click to view]

Rural Solutions
Rural communities have been developing and testing brownfields programs. Representatives will share their
experiences as a model for other communities with lessons for other rural, suburban, and urban communities.
Mark Walker, Colorado Dept of Public Health & Environment (moderator) [click to view]
Alisha Reis, City of Monte Vista, CO [click to view]

Infill Development: Collaborating for Project Success
This series of focus groups followed an actual nine-acre redevelopment opportunity in Wheat Ridge, Colorado
through small-group roundtable discussions that consecutively evaluated environmental remediation planning,
real estate market analysis, and site planning. The site was formerly used for retail, gas station, and automotive
service. Wheat Ridge 2020, a community-based non-profit corporation, has purchase options on a majority of
the acreage and hopes to exercise options and acquire those properties. Wheat Ridge 2020 and the City’s
Urban Renewal Agency would most likely issue an RFP to the development community. These focus groups
were interactive: with participants discussing options, offering solutions, or simply learning abut the process.
The sessions are intended to assist Wheat Ridge 2020 better understand the site’s development potential and
design their pending development RFP.

Environmental Planning: Integrating Cleanup & Reuse
This session discussed the impacts of environmental conditions on development potential, evaluate implications
of different mitigation approaches, and identify a short list of possible environmental remediation approaches
for the site considerate of residential, commercial, and mixed-use development on the site.

Market Analysis: Opportunities, Challenges, and Solutions
This session presented current market conditions for the area and discuss market trends and outlook. A panel
of real estate development, finance, planning, and urban renewal experts will discuss the particular
opportunities and challenges for the site. Highest and best use, considerate of residential, commercial, and
mixed-use projects, will be evaluated and possible development scenarios identified.

Implementing the Redevelopment Vision: A Consensus?
Wheat Ridge 2020 has recently commissioned a master plan for the assemblage which suggests development
parcels, vehicular and pedestrian traffic patterns, and other master plan features. This session will present the
process of developing the master plan and, through a charrette-style process, explore how different
development scenarios may be implemented and the community’s vision achieved.

Presenters and moderators
Denise Balkas, Wheat Ridge 2020
Renee Martinez-Stone, Perspective 3
Mark Heller, Golden Urban Renewal Authority
Kemp Will, Burns, Figa & Will, PC and Urban Transitions, Inc
Dana Crawford, Urban Neighborhoods
Chris Coble, NPRE
Nigel Staton, Land by Design
Debra Kalish, Murray Dahl Kuechenmeister & Renaud, LLP
Diron Baker, Colorado School of Mines, Engineering Student
Dan Scheppers, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment
Tim Kelley, CO Division of Oil & Public Safety
Thomas Murphy, LT Environmental
Robert Zimmer, Ninyo and Moore