Brownfields 101: Successful redevelopment of brownfields start with understanding the basics. This session provides a practical introductory overview of brownfield redevelopment, including what defines a brownfield property, common environmental concerns, the assessment and cleanup process, available funding sources, liability considerations, and the role of federal, state, and local partners. Participants will also explore how brownfield redevelopment can support economic development, neighborhood revitalization, and sustainable land reuse.
Right now, the people trying to bring an old building back to life are often flying blind. Architects and planners work from photographs and educated guesses. Community members are asked to get excited about a project they literally cannot picture. This session looks at a set of tools that fix that problem—drones, 3D scanning, and photorealistic modeling that capture a building or a block exactly as it is and turn it into an interactive digital version you can walk through, measure, and pull real drawings from.
We'll also dig into how location and foot-traffic data—from platforms like Esri and Placer.ai—can sharpen your fundraising and help you design and measure events. The takeaway: how to turn this kind of data into a story that wins community buy-in, builds a smarter fundraising pitch, and launches downtown events that make an impact.
The ribbon cutting marks a milestone — not the finish line. This session explores the practical, technical, regulatory, and community-centered realities of owning and operating a brownfield property where onsite consolidation and capping were used as the remedy. We’ll move beyond redevelopment celebration to the daily obligations, risks, and opportunities that determine long-term success. Topics will include Human health and safety: managing exposure pathways, cap integrity and maintenance, stormwater and surface-water management, long-term monitoring and sampling, institutional and engineering controls.
Brownfields Job Training programs do more than remediate contaminated properties—they create pathways to meaningful careers while advancing community revitalization.
This session explores the U.S. EPA Brownfields Job Training (BJT) Grant Program, which recently awarded approximately $12 million to 25 communities to recruit and train unemployed and underemployed individuals for environmental careers. Attendees will learn about program eligibility, and how grant funding supports workforce development initiatives.
The presentation will also highlight the Brownfields Technician Training Program at Employment Skills Center, a current BJT Grantee. Their program was developed through collaboration with workforce and industry partners, and uses targeted curriculum, hands-on instruction, and industry-recognized certifications such as HAZWOPER, asbestos, and lead training, to ensure graduates gain job-ready skills that support environmental remediation and redevelopment projects. Presenters will offer practical strategies for building workforce pipelines that strengthen local economies, address environmental challenges, and create lasting community benefits.
