Federal
Initiatives for Sustainable Communities
Myra
Blakely, Deputy Director, USEPA Office of Brownfields & Land
Revitalization, Washington, D.C.
Towards a
More Sustainable Colorado
There is
significant on-the-ground effort at the federal and state
levels to implement practical, doable, approaches to
sustainability. Director Kirkpatrick will discuss the
Colorado Department of Local Affairs’ Sustainable Community
Development Initiative, which will benefit Colorado
communities in topics ranging from the basics of land use
planning, to sustainable economic development and
sustainability best practices. Tim Rehder will highlight
specific projects in the Rocky Mountain West intended to
achieve mutual goals of renewable energy, climate change,
sustainability, and economic prosperity.
Susan E.
Kirkpatrick, Executive Director, Colorado Department of
Local Affairs
Tim Rehder, Lead Environmental Scientist, USEPA Region 8
Stacey Eriksen,
Urban Watershed Revitalization Coordinator, US EPA Region 8
Moderator: Johanna Miller,
US EPA Region 8
Economic &
Real Estate Market Dynamics
It is a
dynamic economy in unpredictable times. So, what are
today’s relevant economic indicators? Have those indicators
changed in the current situation? What should I pay
attention to as I read the morning paper? Speakers will
address economic conditions in industry and employment,
commercial real estate, and residential real estate markets.
The panel will provide insightful perspectives useful for
armchair economist as well as seasoned economists alike.
Patty
Silverstein, President, Development Research Partners
Mike Rinner,
Executive Vice President, The Genesis Group
Ethan Reed,
Senior Research Manager, CoStar Group, Inc., Columbia, MD
Financial
Markets Forum
Panelists
will discuss the current real estate financing environment,
impacts on the development market, and what deals are
getting financed. How are lenders looking at risk and how
much are they willing to leverage? How do you know if you
have a fundable project and where to go? What underwriting
criteria are lenders seeking? Let’s find the path forward!
Stephen
Clark, Principal, S.B. Clark Companies
Steve
Johnson, Business Finance Manager, Colorado Housing &
Finance Authority
Barbara
Walker, Executive Director, Independent Bankers of Colorado
Jack
Hoagland, Principal, Sterling Ranch, LLC
Sprawl or Infill: Where do I Find the Action in a Post
Recession Economy?
Many
are saying that infill locations will be the big
opportunity post recession. Infill, redevelopment and
smaller scale sites may be the winners in response to
new market realities, gas prices and community
sustainability initiatives. Panelists will discuss
emerging opportunities from developer and market
perspectives.
Sean O’Hara, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, EV Studio & Vice President,
Congress for New Urbanism Colorado Chapter
Bennett Bertoli, Vice President, Sunflower Farmers Market Inc.
Brent Anderson, CEO, International Risk Group (IRG)
Denise Balkas,
Real Estate Development Director, Wheat Ridge 2020
Infill
Development Happens
Weston
Solutions is now implementing its infill redevelopment
model in Lakewood, CO, acquiring, cleaning up, and
redeveloping the Garrison Station project, in which they
will be an anchor tenant. Presenters will discuss their
approach to development and the motivation behind the
Garrison Street project.
Steve Blarr, Development Director, Weston Solutions
John Reinsma, Senior Development Manager, Weston Solutions
Renewable Energy: New Life for Landfills
Solar
energy installations on landfills present an option for
the economically beneficial reuse of otherwise
unbuildable sites. This session will showcase
works-in-progress: case studies ranging from conception
to implementation, including the development of a
community-wide energy strategic plan and site
development challenges and solutions.
Diane
Kielty, Director of Project Development, Kielty
Diversified Projects
Jesse
Silverstein, Executive Director, Colorado Brownfields
Foundation
Jonathan W. Moore AICP. Sustainable Community Solutions,
Inc. & Renewable Energy Development Director, Colorado
Harvesting Energy Network
Jason Chan, District
Manager, Waste Management
Brownfields 101
What
are Brownfields? What do I need to know about liability,
stigma, and regulations? Better yet, how do I clear
environmental issues, work with federal and state
assistance programs, and find funding to do it? Learn
everything you want to know from our panelists.
Ted Lanzano,
Brownfields Project Manager, U.S EPA Region 8
Fonda
Apostolopoulos, State Project Manager, CO Department of
Public Health & Environment
Abandoned Buildings to Business-Ready Sites
Old
empty buildings may create gaps in your downtown and
districts, contribute to blight, and impact the tax
base. Alternatively, these sites can be repositioned for
redevelopment and new business occupancy. The National
Vacant Properties Campaign provides information
resources, tools, and assistance to individuals,
advocates, agencies, developers, non-profits to support
vacant property revitalization efforts. Speakers will
share model practices and examples of creativity and
leadership that can turn abandoned buildings into
business-ready sites.
John Kromer,
Fels Institute of Government, University of Pennsylvania
Charles
Bartsch, ICF International, & Advisory Committee Member,
National Vacant Properties Campaign
Moderator: Deni Coryell,
City of Burlington
Economic Development Point/Counterpoint
Our
speakers will offer their viewpoints on where business
development is and where it is going: Has the rules of
economic development changed? Have the tools of
economic development changed? Have the prospects
changed? Is there a new paradigm in site selection and
how does how does Colorado rate? Attendees will have an
opportunity to pose their own questions.
Clarke Becker,
President, Colorado Rural Development Council
Tom
Clark, Executive Vice President, Metro Denver Economic
Development Corporation
Funding
Brownfields Redevelopment
Grants,
loans, tax credits, and alternative funding mechanisms
exist for pubic and private parties at the state,
federal, and nonprofit levels to assist with the
assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites. A broad
panel of funders will describe how to access these
funds.
Dan Scheppers,
Brownfields Program Coordinator, CO Dept. of Public
Health & Environment
Barbara Benoy,
Brownfields Project Manager, U.S EPA Region 8
Jonathan Steeler, Shareholder, Isaacson Rosenbaum P.C.
Christy Culp,
Community Development Specialist, CO Dept. of Local
Affairs
Masouda Omar, Senior Commercial Lender, Colorado Housing & Finance
Authority
Downtown Business Development Basics
This
session will discuss business district dynamics and
address how to develop an effective business plan for
downtown districts. Business mix, historic
considerations, and financing districts will be
presented.
Katherine Correll, Executive Director, Downtown Colorado
Inc.
Rick Kron, Grimshaw &
Harring, P.C.
Neighborhood Renewal: an Area-Wide Approach
Redevelopment areas and aging commercial districts can
benefit from a holistic approach to redevelopment where
issues and opportunities are addressed to “float the
entire neighborhood boat” . This session will explore
how communities have inventoried their brownfields
opportunities to use as marketing tools and highlights
in, real time, how Wheat Ridge 2020 continues to
position its redevelopment area for revitalization.
Denise
Balkas, Director of Real Estate Development, Wheat Ridge
2020
Paul
Hoffey, Senior Environmental Scientist, Erler &
Kalinowski, Inc.
Legal
Issues Update: Asbestos in Soil; Restrictive Uses;
Shifts in Liability
Speakers will discuss current and emerging environmental
and legal issues affecting redevelopment.
Jennifer McClister, Associate, Hogan & Hartson LLP
Colleen
Brisnehan, Environmental Protection Specialist,
CO Dept. of Public Health & Environment
Scott Clark,
Partner, Burns Figa & Will, P.C.
Maki
Iatridis, Partner, Berg Hill Greenleaf & Ruscitti LLP
Economic Development 101
What is
economic development, what do economic developers do,
and what are their tools? Mr. Becker will explain the
basics and discuss today’s challenges and approaches to
business development in Colorado.
Clarke Becker,
President, Colorado Rural Development Council
Creating Business Ready Sites, a Kit Carson Case Study
Kit
Carson, a small rural eastern Colorado town, has been
leveraging partnerships and funding to eliminate a large
vacant eyesore and transform the property into a
business-ready site for economic development. The
project has entailed environmental cleanup technologies
and unique partnerships between the CO Division of Oil &
Public Safety, CO Department of Public Health &
Environment, USEPA, and the CO Brownfields Foundation.
The panel will discuss project goals, implementation
strategy, challenges, and successes.
Tim Kelley,
Environmental Protection Specialist, CO Division of Oil
& Public Safety
Amy
Johnson, Executive Director, Kit Carson Rural
Development
Jesse Silverstein, Executive Director, Colorado Brownfields Foundation
