What is it about place that makes it special? Is it just what exists there during a moment or is there more? How much does the physical space we occupy shape us as people? Shae Strait, a native Appalachian, professional planner, and wearer of many hats, discusses why our place matters, from its history to even its future. Whether we were aware or not, and whether the choice of space was even ours to make, Shae will discuss both his personal journey and some of the ways place matters to us all, no matter where we find ourselves.
The State & Federal Updates session shares resources for potential grant funding opportunities for brownfields redevelopment projects from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and WV Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) representatives. Learn about WV brownfield sites that have been assessed and remediated through WVDEP's Voluntary Remediation Program and Brownfields Assistance Program as well as WVDEP programmatic updates.
Join an informal fireside chat to hear how Huntington leveraged federal EPA Brownfield grants to catalyze over $200 million in investment, transforming "blight into bright" using EPA Assessment and Cleanup grants to plan for advanced manufacturing, retail, and a new Marshall University baseball stadium. Key stakeholders will share the leverage model involving the City, Huntington Municipal Development Authority (HMDA), Marshall University, and the WVDEP to secure competitive funding like the America's Best Communities $3 million grand prize. The ACF Industries Site will be used as a case study, navigating the voluntary remediation and demolition of a 100-year-old railcar facility to make way for redevelopment.
Wednesday September 9, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm EDT Grand Ballroom1 Center Plaza, Huntington, WV 25701
How do you turn differing perspectives into a cohesive plan of action? You need representation from all sides of a community to gain support, address liabilities, and move your brownfield project forward. During this interactive session, attendees will learn strategies to get stakeholders to show up, engage with one another, and provide the necessary input to create inventories, project visions, and redevelopment plans. Experience tactics that can be applied to your project and expand your public engagement skillset.
Outreach & Education Manager, Mid-Atlantic TAB; Brownfields Assistance Center
Becca is the Outreach and Education Manager for Mid-Atlantic TAB, West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center, and West Virginia Water Research Institute. Becca supports all outreach activities, including organizing conferences and events, webinars, and managing websites and social... Read More →
In West Virginia communities, housing is not an amenity; it is infrastructure. Without it, workforce recruitment stalls, downtown revitalization loses its foundation, and the people who show up to do the work of community building have nowhere to live. This panel brings together practitioners and local leaders from West Virginia communities at different stages of housing-focused redevelopment, examining the extent of housing needs in West Virginia, opportunities that underutilized properties present, and what it takes to move those properties to a viable residential project in a thin rural market. Conversation will center on the housing market, financing, community trust, and the role of strategic planning in making housing visible as an economic development priority and not just a social service response. Attendees will leave with practical examples applicable to their own communities, and an honest account of what is working, what is not, and why these projects matter.
Securing the cleanup funding for brownfield properties is just one step along the way in a larger revitalization process. Implementation of project reuse goals requires a mix of funding options and as the EPA Grant allocation for post-remediation planning is shrinking, communities are considering alternative programs and funding to support reuse. This talk will explore how other federal grant opportunities, through such agencies as DOT, FEMA, EDA, and HUD, can support brownfield revitalization projects while achieving co-benefits. We will discuss best practices for developing strong grant applications, matching alternative funding with project pieces, conducting meaningful stakeholder engagement, and stacking funding to complete redevelopment.
Carrie M. Staton is the Director of the Northern WV Brownfields Assistance Center at West Virginia University. Carrie provides strategic direction and oversight for the Center and its programs, including development and management of internal processes; program development and implementation... Read More →
