Jun 19, 2019

4th Annual NYS Redevelopment Summit: Pathways to Revitalization

The Center for Creative Land Recycling hosted its 4th Annual NYS Redevelopment Summit: Pathways to Revitalization June 11th and 12th, 2019 at the Sage College of Albany in Albany, NY. The Summit was CCLR’s largest Annual Summit to date and featured comprehensive learning and extensive networking opportunities for over 300 redevelopment professionals and practitioners from across New York State. The diversity in backgrounds and perspectives made for a multi-faceted Summit where redevelopment issues and case studies were discussed from every angle. Nearly 40% of attendees represented municipalities, counties or non profit organizations, another 40% were private sector professionals, and the remaining 20% came from state and federal agencies. (See list of attendees here).

This diverse field of redevelopment stakeholders allowed for dynamic and interdisciplinary panels and conversations that covered everything from the nitty gritty of opportunity zones and green financing to broader multidimensional topics like mitigating displacement and regional redevelopment. We hope that the knowledge gained and connections made catalyze projects just getting off the ground and give existing projects the boost they need on the road to redevelopment success and community revitalization. Of particular import, CCLR offered continuing education credits to planning professionals for a number of panels and speeches for the first time.

A more in-depth synopsis of speakers, topics, and summit highlights can be found below. We’ve also linked to a variety of resources including each speaker’s presentation. Feel free to reach out to speakers if you have questions or contact CCLR so we can help connect you. Speakers’ contact information can be found in the Program Booklet.

The first day of the Summit featured welcome remarks by John Maggiore from the Office of the Governor, followed by a Municipal Spotlight panel, where representatives from the Cities of Lockport, Schenectady, Amsterdam, and Hicksville, NY spoke on their current projects and community revitalization efforts. Day one also featured concurrent Technical Sessions split into Planning, Environmental, and Funding tracks. Topics discussed included layering public and private funding sources, brownfields and solar development, revitalizing local economies through land recycling, regulatory updates and more.

Image of 3 people sitting at table labelled "Public Funding & Grant Writing Tips" Three people talking at a table

Attendees meeting with office hours experts.

In concurrence with day one’s technical sessions, attendees were also encouraged to take advantage of Office Hours with redevelopment experts. Office Hours offered attendees the chance to meet one-on-one with public and private sector professionals to discuss issues including BOA pre-planning and nomination, marketing properties, how to form or increase the performance of land banks, public funding and grant writing tips, tax credits and opportunity zones, working with private property owners, risk management and more. Day one concluded with a reception in the Opalka Art Gallery, which was generously sponsored by Knauf Shaw, LaBella Associates, EKI Environment & Water, Inc., GEI Consultants and featured remarks by New York State Assemblymember for the 18th district, John McDonald III.

The second day of the Summit featured numerous plenary sessions and networking opportunities. Municipalities were invited to participate in a BOA/DRI Meet and Greet that encouraged peer exchange.

Dale Bryk, Deputy Secretary for Energy and the Environment from the Office of the Governor, delivered the morning keynote and spoke extensively on resilience, sustainable infrastructure, and clean energy.

Dale Byk adresses the audience during her keynote remarks.

Keynote remarks were followed by a panel on how opportunity zone tax incentives can potentially stimulate growth and support brownfields redevelopment in disadvantaged communities. A key takeaway from this panel was that Opportunity Zone tax incentives don’t provide enough of an upside to make financially unviable projects viable. It is incumbent on property owners to provide robust information on properties – whether in an Opportunity Zone or not – to attract investment. Panelists included Ryan Silva with NYS Economic Development Council, Pietra Zaffram with Harris Beach, Jim Carras with Carras Community Investments, and Bob Richardson with Blue Cardinal Capital.

The second plenary panel of the day discussed the legislation and practices put in place to mitigate displacement in the land recycling process. Speakers including Luiz Aragon from the City of New Rochelle, Justin Rudgick from the City of Oswego, and Adam Zaranko from the Albany County Land Bank discussed some of the strategies they’ve employed in their communities to combat gentrification and displacement without limiting community revitalization potential. The panel was expertly moderated by Paul Beyer from the NYS Department of State.

The Luncheon Keynote was delivered by PUSH Buffalo’s Executive Director, Rahwa Ghirmatzion. She discussed New York State’s Community Greenworks Initiative that will create green jobs, promote green infrastructure, revitalize blighted and abandoned properties into equitable community hubs, and act as a model for community driven redevelopment.

The always anticipated Marketing Pitch Panel kicked off after lunch and included pitches from Herkimer County, the City of Utica, and the City of Rochester. Pitch panelists, Bill Teator from Dew Ventures LLC, Bob Richardson from Blue Cardinal Capital, Matt Paulus from Paulus Development, and Bill Hoblock from Richbell Capital weighed in with valuable feedback and advice.

The Summit concluded with a dynamic panel on Regional Redevelopment that explored the challenges and rewards that come with community revitalization and redevelopment on a regional scale. Panelists included: Erin Crotty from CHA Consulting Inc., Andrew Kennedy from the Center for Economic Growth, Christian Mercurio from Mohawk Valley Edge, Andy Beers from Empire State Trail, and Linda Shaw from Knauf Shaw.

CCLR aimed to make the Summit the most consequential land reuse event of the year and we thank our sponsors, partners, speakers, and everyone who participated for helping us achieve our goal.

View the program with a detailed agenda, speaker bios, sponsor information and more here.

If you attended the event, please take a second to complete our survey to help us shape the next Summit. We appreciate your feedback!

Thank you to our partners!

U.S. EPA, NYS Empire State Development, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NYS Economic Development Counsil, NYSAC, NYC Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation, NYCOM, NDC, Behan Communications, Mohawk Valley Edge, CDRPC, APA New York Upstate Chapter, NYC Brownfield Listings, NYC Brownfield Partnership.

Thank you to our generous sponsors for their support of this premier event:
EKI Environment & Water, Inc., Knauf Shaw, LaBella Associates, Bergmann, Bousquet Holstein, Clean Earth, Inc., C&S Companies, GEI Consultants, GZA, Harris Beach, The LiRo Group, Pine Environmental, Ramboll, Actio Corporate Asset Advisors, Alpha Analytical, LLC, CHA Companies, Chazen Companies, EDR, Mohawk Valley Edge, Utica IDA, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP

Day 1: June 11th

Welcome
Claire Weston, Program Associate | CCLR
John Maggiore, Senior Advisor | Office of the Governor
Summit Highlights
Jean Hamerman, Deputy Director | CCLR

Municipal Spotlight
Amy Fisk | City of Lockport, NY
Kristin Diotte | City of Schenectady, NY
Amanda Bearcroft | City of Amsterdam, NY
Jim McCaffrey | Hicksville, NY (Town of Oyster Bay)

Technical Sessions:

Starting a Renaissance in Your Community Through Brownfield Redevelopment
Ed Flynn | La Bella Associates
Eric Zamft | Village of Port Chester, NY
Sally Baker | Philmont Beautification

Show Me the Money: Layering Public and Private Sources of Funding
Julie Pacatte | Chazen Companies
Jim Carras | Carras Community Investments
Mike Tyszko | Bousquet Holstein
Ed Bartholomew | EDC/IDA Warren County, NY

DEC Regulatory and Program Updates
Kevin McCarty | GEI Consultants
Martin Brand | NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Rick Clarkson | NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Stephen Kline | GZA GeoEnvironmental

Finding the Green: Funding Open Space/Sustainability
Megan Phillips | Office of the Governor
Meghan Taylor | Empire State Development
Beatrice Gamache | New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation
Daniel Mackay | New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation
Jeff Jones | Jeff Jones Strategies

Protecting Assets from Climate Change
Earl James | EKI Environment & Water, Inc.
Carolyn Fraioli | NYS Department of State
Mark Lowery | Office of Climate Change, NYS DEC
Michael Kohut | Village of Haverstraw, NY

The Redevelopment Roadmap: Exit 29, Canajoharie, NY
Jane E. Rice | EDR
Matthew L. Ossenfort | County Executive, Montgomery County
Kenneth F. Rose | Montgomery County Business Development Center
Meghan M. Manion, Esq. | Montgomery County
Bob Kreuzer | The LiRo Group

Day 2: June 12th

Welcome Remarks and Keynote speakers
Keynote speaker: Dale Bryk | Deputy Secretary for Energy and the Environment, Office of the Governor

Golden Opportunity: Opportunity Zones Spur Redevelopment Success
Ryan Silva | NYS Economic Development Council
Pietra Zaffram | Harris Beach
Jim Carras | Carras Community Investments
Bob Richardson | Blue Cardinal Capital

Legislation and Practice to Mitigate Displacement
Paul Beyer | NYS Department of State
Luiz Aragon | City of New Rochelle, NY
Justin Rudgick | City of Oswego, NY
Adam Zaranko | Albany County Land Bank

Luncheon Keynote
Rahwa Ghirmatzion | Executive Director, PUSH Buffalo

Marketing Pitch Panel
Panelists:
Bill Teator | Dew Ventures LLC
Bob Richardson | Blue Cardinal Capital
Matt Paulus | Paulus Development
Bill Hoblock | Richbell Capital

Presenting municipalities:
Herkimer County by John Piseck | Herkimer County IDA
The City of Utica by Jack Spaeth | Utica Industrial Development Agency
The City of Rochester by Anna DaSilva Tella | City of Rochester, NY

Resources:
Brownfield Opportunity Area Program 2019 – 2020: Request for Applications
Sample Marketing Sheets: www.racertrust.org
Sample of municipal website profiling properties: City of Rochester
Energize NY Open C-PACE Document
Office of the State Comptroller: New York Environmental Spill Compensation Fund
New York Community Greenworks Initiative Request for Applications
Buffalo News Article: In one West Side neighborhood’s turnaround: optimism, uncertainty and $12 toast
NYS Department Of State Grant Opportunities
New York BIDS: New York Community Greenworks Initiative
Sampling for 1,4‐Dioxane and Per‐ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Under DEC’s Part 375 Remedial Programs