2026 Program
Monday, March 23, 2026 — Tuesday — Wednesday
All Grantees Workshop
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Details to be Announced
Brownfields 101
Time: 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Panelists: Steven Miano, Hangley Aronchick, Philadelphia, PA, Colleen Costello, CCC & Associates, LLC, Chalfont, PA; and Michael Maddigan, PA DEP, Harrisburg, PA
Given the popularity of past Brownfields 101 programs, we have expanded the program to 2 hours and will hold it on Monday afternoon, before the start of the conference. This session will introduce participants to the basics of Pennsylvania’s brownfields program. The session is designed for those who are either new to brownfields redevelopment or for those who want to put the entire brownfields redevelopment process into perspective. The session will cover the basics of Acts 2, 3 and 4, the legal protections provided, federal counterparts, the drivers of the process, managing technical issues, the nuts and bolts of doing the deal, transaction risk management, and long-term stewardship of redevelopment projects including environmental covenants. Speakers will provide both the DEP and private practice perspectives. Given the expanded session timing, we will also briefly touch on some of the requirements for attaining each of the Act 2 remediation standards (vapor intrusion, risk assessment, background basics, ecological evaluations, etc.) PFAS and emerging contaminants, and consideration for developing unique properties into successful brownfields redevelopment sites.
Tours of Bethlehem, Easton and Allentown
TOUR 1: Bethlehem Tour
Time: 3:00-6:00 PM, Stops include:
BethWorks, including No. 2 Machine Shop, 920 E 1st St; Steel General Offices, 701 E 3rd St; and possibly Turn and Grind, 645 E 1st St.
Speakers: John Callahan, Director of Business Development, Peron Development and former CoB Mayor; Sean Ziller, CoB Deputy Director of Economic Development; and possibly Kassie Hilgert, President and CEO, ArtsQuest.
Boyd Theatre, 26-44 W Broad St.
Speaker: Rocco Ayvazov, CEO, Monocacy General Contracting, LLC and Monocacy Builders, LLC.
Laros Mill and Laros Lofts, 601-675 E Broad St.
Speaker: Gretchen Rice, Partner, VM Development Group, LLC and VM Realty Group, LLC.
Eastern Gateway, 1400-1416 E 4th St.
Speakers: Kerry Wroble, President and CEO, Lehigh Valley Industrial Park, Inc. and Sara Statullo, CoB Deputy Director of Community Development.
TOUR 2: Easton Tour
Time: 3:00-6:00 PM, Stops include:
Simon Silk Mill
Construction of the Simon Silk MIll began in 1883 and the mill eventually grew to include 330,000 square feet of space in approximately 20 buildings along the Bushkill Creek in Easton. After acquiring the site 2024, the Easton Redevelopment Authority undertook a decade-long redevelopment project that included leveraging a dozen different federal, state and local grants and loans totaling more than $9.3M. The resulting $100M+ award-winning redevelopment project was completed by VM Development Group and the site now houses 35 businesses employing approximately 100 people and 162 residential units (simonsilkmill.com).
Easton Iron & Metal
The Easton Iron & Metal site (EIM) is a former scrapyard that has been acquired by the City of Easton for the purpose of creating a dynamic mixed-use redevelopment whose design and functionality reflects the artistic and environmental sensibilities of the adjacent Karl Stirner Arts Trail and Bushkill Creek. The City has leveraged ~$2.3 million in grant funding toward environmental cleanup and pedestrian connectivity improvements and is now working with VM Development Group through a public-private partnership to develop “The Foundry”, a $50M+ mixed-use community with ~20,000 square feet of commercial space and parking on the buildings’ first floors, 200+ residential units on the upper floors, and unique architecture focused on environmental sustainability, nature and art.
Dixie Cup
Redevelopment is a 405-apartment mixed-use complex, improvements to the Wilson Bike path area, and the former factory’s boiler house will become a dog-friendly cafe and lounge. Redevelopment project cost roughly $155 million. In July 2025, the environmental remediation was completed, included the removal of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, and toxic chemicals such as lead-based paint and asbestos.
Black Diamond Redevelopment
A former stainless steel manufacturing plant that was blighted for more than 30 years, The Mill at Easton is a model project for revitalizing urban industrial sites. Beginning in 2018, this 8-year redevelopment project is now complete. Consisting of 55 affordable apartments, a Dollar General + and a Federally Qualified Health Center, this transformative project has helped to address both a food and health care desert that exists on the City’s south side, while also addressing the region’s affordable housing problem at the same time.
Highline project
A former NFS rail bridge that connects Phillipburg and Easton that will be transformed into a walking path over the Delaware River.
TOUR 3: Allentown Tour
Time: 3:00-6:00 PM, Stops include:
Eastern Exterior Wall Systems property (also known as the Allentown Metal Works), 606 S. 10th Street.
Traylor Engineering was established in 1902 by a young mining engineer, Sam Traylor. Initially, the plant made heavy-duty steel equipment for the mining, construction, and concrete industry. Some went to American industries, but most products were sent for export to Europe and other overseas buyers. With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the French and British contracted Traylor for manufacturing munitions (shells and naval mines). When the US entered the war in 1917, the company made marine engines and boilers along with other essential parts for ships. While going back to the mining industry during the 1920s and 1930s, World War II turned the company back to being a vital defense contractor. In 1959, Traylor Engineering was sold to the Fuller Company. In 1990, FLSmidth bought the Fuller Company and continued manufacturing cement processing equipment (kilns) until the early 2000s. Mack Truck plants were situated next to Traylor Engineering after Jack and Gus Mack moved their motor car plant to Allentown from Brooklyn, NY in 1905; taking over the foundries of the former Weaver-Hirsh company on South 10th Street.
This site was known as Allentown Metal Works, which closed in 2011 and was taken over by AEDC. In October 2022, the site was sold to Marcon Properties who conducted a redevelopment in 2024 including construction of two plants which opened in January 2025 and are currently used to produce prefabricated exterior wall panels. Eastern Exterior Wall Systems, Inc. was born from the need to provide high-quality, single-source, efficient exterior EIFS enclosures to a growing construction industry, specifically the rise of the casino development in Atlantic City, NJ. Throughout EEWS’s four decades of existence, we have continuously improved on our original product. We have grown through many technological advances, additional cladding options, and enhanced enclosure performance, designing our panels to suit the ever-evolving world of construction. This means listening to our customers providing them with solutions that not only look great but outperform every expectation. Most recently, this has included developing our gasketed panel-to-panel weather joint which extends the available range of EEWS’s high-performance prefabricated solutions. From its inception over 40 years ago, EEWS has been proud partners on projects that have changed the skylines of major metropolitan areas and contributed to the growth of communities in the Northeast region of the United States and beyond.
The Waterfront, 615 Waterfront Drive.
Since acquiring the former Lehigh Structural Steel site in 2012, The Waterfront Development Company (a division of Jaindl Enterprises) has transformed a once-dormant 29-acre industrial property into a vibrant, mixed-use riverfront destination. Through a decade-long commitment to remediation and revitalization, the team has completed extensive environmental work under Pennsylvania’s Act 2 Land Recycling Program, achieving PADEP-approved cleanup standards and securing the site’s readiness for safe residential, commercial, and recreational use. The redevelopment’s remediation strategy successfully addressed minimal soil and groundwater impacts through targeted excavation, capping, and institutional controls, ensuring that The Waterfront is positioned as a model for sustainable brownfield reuse.
With sitewide infrastructure completed and vertical development underway, The Waterfront now showcases its first Class-A office building (615 Waterfront Drive) and is advancing construction on River House, a 201-unit luxury apartment building slated to open in 2026.
In 2025, The Waterfront Development Co. partnered with Urban Design Associates to reimagine the campus master plan, reflecting a forward-looking approach to urban living and economic growth along the Lehigh River. The project stands as a benchmark for collaborative remediation, adaptive planning, and market-driven placemaking—redefining what’s possible for brownfield transformation in Pennsylvania.
Drive by Coca Cola Park (Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs) if time permits.
Get Aquainted Reception
Location: Twisted Tees in the Casino Shopping Area
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Women in Brownfields
Time: 7:30 – 8:30 AM
Breakfast/Networking/Visit Exhibit Booths
Time: 8:00 – 10:00 AM
Welcome Plenary
Time: 8:30 – 9:30 AM
Details to be Announced
Networking/Visit Exhibit Booths
Time: 9:30 – 10:00 AM
Session 1A
Time: 10:00 – 11:00 AM
EPA Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA)
Neeraj Batta, Batta Environmental & Associates, Inc.
Session 1B
Time: 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Bring Your Own Brownfield – Project Answers Live Before a Studio Audience
Carrie Staton, Mid-Atlantic TAB
Brownfield projects can take a long time and run into multiple barriers – not just questions of environmental contamination. For project champions and community leaders, it can feel like they are working alone, without much support, or like no one else has ever encountered the same issues before. Bring Your Own Brownfield (BYOB) is designed to connect project champions with experts in the field as well as peer project leaders to discuss their projects, identify potential resources or next steps, and build community across geographies. In this session, Mid-Atlantic TAB will facilitate up to four Pennsylvania brownfield champions to share background and questions on their projects with a panel of seasoned redevelopment professionals from a variety of fields. Panelists will provide input and recommendations for paths forward to resolve barriers impeding progress, including environmental concerns, attracting investors, pursuing funding, reuse of infrastructure, and community involvement. Audience members will contribute their questions and recommendations to project presenters and have the opportunity to ask questions of the panel to take home to their brownfield project.
Session 1C
Time: 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Environmental Justice and Tribal Relations in Pennsylvania
Gretchen Addington, Civil & Environmental Consultants Inc.
The Pennsylvania Office of Environmental Justice enacted the Interim Final Environmental Justice Policy on September 16, 2023, which state that “all Pennsylvanians have the right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of natural, scenic, historic, and aesthetic values of the environment.”
Thus, a successful EJ program should promote meaningful and informative dialogue between all project proponents and align the EJ Program with relevant requirements. The goal of any EJ program is to engage all people potentially impacted by development.
In that respect, a successful environmental justice program needs to extend beyond geographic areas and not overlook engagement with Native American Tribes/Tribal Nations to avoid inadvertently missing a key component to providing equitable services to affected communities. Early, often, and meaningful engagement with Tribal governments to build trust is critical to managing potential conflicts and maintaining collaborative relationships.
Working collaboratively with tribal leadership, federal agencies, project sponsors, and local governments on broad community development initiatives supports responsible EJ programs to engage effectively with Tribal Liaisons on a variety of project types, strengthening relationships and facilitating consensus where Tribal concerns are raised. As such, an effective EJ Program’s approach to tribal relations is not simply to “check a box,” but to establish a mutually beneficial discourse that promotes goodwill for project proponents and benefits local communities while balancing Tribal interests.
During our presentation, we share perspective and insights from a rich professional history working closely with Native American Tribes/Tribal Nations, always striving for effective and fair development.
Environmental Justice Landscape in Pennsylvania
Justin Dula, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
As the landscape around environmental justice changes on the federal level, Pennsylvania remains committed to supporting communities living in environmental justice areas. This session will explore the actions being taken in Pennsylvania around environmental justice and how they relate to promoting brownfield redevelopment. The session will include the historic and legal context around environmental justice to set a foundational understanding. The session will also discuss proactive community engagement efforts taken by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to support environmental justice. It will further outline Pennsylvania’s Environmental Justice Policy and PennEnviroScreen mapping tool and how these relate to the environmental regulatory process and permitting. While the focus will be on DEP actions to further environmental justice, the tools discussed can also help those conducing brownfield remediation better understand the communities they are working in. Knowing the community concerns and vulnerabilities can help create more effective community engagement processes that can save time and money through the life of the project. The session will also say how communities living in environmental justice areas are considered in the grant process. Session participants will come out of the session with a better understanding of where Pennsylvania stands on environmental justice and a greater awareness of tools to help reach communities.
Session 1D
Time: 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Bethlehem Steel East Lehigh Area-Transforming Industrial History into Modern Commerce
John Judge, Land Air Water Legal Solutions, LLC
An abandoned 500-acre complex used primarily for manufacturing six-inch guns on United States Navy destroyers in World War II, has been fully converted to a thriving commercial and industrial park. This project is a testament to the power of innovative thinking. With initial negotiations starting in 1999, Majestic Realty Company had to navigate the bankruptcy of Bethlehem Steel, several interim owners, and a multi-year long due diligence and baseline contamination investigation. Since it acquired the property in 2007, Majestic has developed six separate parcels, with building capacities of 0.50 M sq. ft. to 1.75 M sq. ft., built to tenant specifications. The Majestic Bethlehem Center is now complete with light manufacturing and warehousing businesses in place and is a great example of the cooperation and coordination among multiple agencies and disciplines that is necessary to bring such a large-scale project to fruition.
Integration of Local and State Officials, Financing and Economic Impact Considerations. Ed Konjoyan, Majestic Realty Company, Los Angeles CA
https://www.majesticrealty.com/team/ed-konjoyan/
Early involvement and continuous discussions throughout the project with state and local authorities played a key role to obtain the necessary approvals and community support. Financing considerations and economic impact throughout the project will also be addressed.
Legal and Insurance Considerations. John P. Judge, Land Air Water Legal Solutions, LLC, Berwyn PA
https://landairwater.com/john-p-judge
Critical elements included:
1. negotiation of a Special Industrial Area Consent Order and Agreement with PADEP, and an agreement with USEPA on fulfillment of RCRA requirements and obligations.
2. A broad range Environmental Covenant for the site which was tied to the Baseline Environmental Report.
3. Acquisition of an environmental insurance policy of the appropriate scope, deductible and term to provide a safety net to address unforeseen environmental conditions.
Engineering Considerations. Thomas A Nowlan, Rambol Engineers, Plymouth Meeting PA
https://www.ramboll.com/contact-us/people/bd666133-2752-4344-8732-8c6773c194c1
Critical elements included:
1. a robust Baseline Environmental Report with over 1,000 soil and groundwater samples, resulted in a solid three-dimensional picture of the pre-existing contaminant levels.
2. A Soil Management Plan for the construction phase approved by USEPA and PADEP gave a pragmatic approach to excavation, staging, removal and replacement of soils with minimal impedance to the construction schedule.
3. Regular reporting to PADEP and USEPA during the Baseline Assessment and construction period. Final reports submitted for joint agency approval upon the completion of each parcel.
Keynote Session
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Jerome Shabazz, Overbrook Environmental Education Center
Lunch – Awards Program
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Networking/Visit Exhibit Booths
Time: 1:00 – 1:30 PM
Session 2A
Time: 1:30 – 2:30 PM
Get the Lead Out – Railway to Recreation
Greg Firely, AMO Environmental Decisions
The Greater Easton Development Partnership is a volunteer driven, non-profit entity that collaborates to nurture Easton’s economic well-being and cultural vibrancy. The GEDP purchased a 1.5-acre former rail depot in 2023 from Norfolk Southern, located at 400 Washington Street in Easton, PA. The site has sat vacant since the 1970’s. GEDP envisioned developing the site into a public recreational area for the community of Easton. Lead and arsenic impacted soil attributed to historically emplaced fill material were found during due diligence performed prior to the property sale. The cost associated with characterizing and remediating the soil was not anticipated in the redevelopment planning stages.
Northampton County was awarded a US EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund, which allows for approximately 50% of the award to be sub-granted to non-profits. GEDP was awarded a sub-grant from Northampton County for the characterization and remediation of the site. The characterization was completed and Act 2 Closure is underway. The site is being remediated for recreational use and will be closed through a combination of PADEP standards via Human Health Risk Assessment and “Hot Spot” excavation. This session will cover the process of utilizing EPA Brownfields grant funding for successful community redevelopment and navigating the PADEP Act 2 process through a combination of standards. The panel of speakers will include Northampton County, the GEDP, and the environmental consultant.
Session 2B
Time: 1:30 – 2:30 PM
The Biggest Bang for the Buck: Leveraging Grant Funds in Public Private Partnerships
Sarah Sieloff, Haley & Aldrich; Colleen Kokas, ELT
Implementation of brownfields grants is almost routinely a linear process, and it can seem like a straight and narrow path: you apply for an assessment grant, conduct the investigation, then apply for a grant for remediation. But what if there were other options that yielded the same result (a remediated site ready for redevelopment) that also allowed grant dollars to be redeployed toward more and different projects? It’s possible! In this discussion, we’ll bring together public and private sector perspectives to help brownfields grantees understand how their public funding can most effectively join with private funding to support redevelopment and yield the biggest impact across the maximum number of brownfields sites.
Session 2C
Time: 1:30 – 2:30 PM
Revitalization in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh: Hazelwood Green and the University of Pittsburgh
Sabina Deitrick, University of Pittsburgh
Brownfields redevelopment continues to transform old industrial sites into new economic development across the U.S., including in Pittsburgh, PA. Lying along the Monongahela River just upriver from the central business district was the Jones and Laughlin (J&L) steel works. Part of the site was shut down by J&L and sat idle as a cleared brownfield in the 1980s. The city bought the site and began its first tax increment financing project to develop the Pittsburgh Technology Center in partnership with the region’s two largest universities, the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. The other part of the J&L works continued operation as the LTV coke works until the late 1990s, when LTV declared bankruptcy. In a highly unusual buyout, a consortium of four Pittsburgh private foundations bought the site out of bankruptcy court and dubbed it ALMONO for the city’s three rivers. While many plans were created for the ALMONO site in the following years and the Hazelwood community continued its vision of development in its community plans, the final vision of the new Hazelwood Green complex was not complete until well over a decade later, with plans for a mix of residential and nonresidential uses centered on science and technology development projects with, again, the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. ALMONO would continue as the site’s owner and manager, with major funds for the developments coming from two of the three foundations.
This panel focuses on university partnerships and community engagement in the Hazelwood neighborhood and the Hazelwood Green project. Can the remake of a decades’ long brownfield into such a science and technology development provide a strong link to community and economic development in a long- distressed neighborhood? What goals tie this innovation district to inclusive innovation for the neighborhood? The panel will focus on the role of the University of Pittsburgh through its Greater Hazelwood Neighborhood Commitment and the prospects and practices for this brownfield redevelopment to achieve a broader economic development strategy for Hazelwood and not become an enclave of science and technology on the Hazelwood Green site. The panel will also briefly discuss the context for inclusive innovation on Hazelwood Green through work on a comparable university-based science and technology brownfield revitalization in Newcastle, UK, with Newcastle University.
Session 2D
Time: 1:30 – 2:30 PM
Brownfield Redevelopment for Subaru Park Stadium & WSFS Bank Sportsplex, Chester, PA
Nevin Diehl, Weston Solutions Inc.
The Subaru Park Stadium redevelopment in Chester, Pennsylvania, is a transformative brownfield initiative spanning three phases from 2007 to 2025. This project converted a blighted industrial waterfront into a world-class Major League Soccer stadium and, most recently, the WSFS Bank Sportsplex—a new 32-acre campus that unites the Philadelphia Union Academy, YSC Academy private school, and the club’s first and second teams on one site, the first of its kind in Major League Soccer.
Weston Solutions managed all environmental activities, including comprehensive site investigations, risk assessments, and remediation under Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling Program (Act 2). The team addressed stormwater design and permitting with PADEP and wastewater management with DELCORA, applied innovative wetland mitigation approaches and delivering turnkey design and implementation. The wetland mitigation approach included a half-acre of wetlands developed as mud flats within a bay area of the Delaware River and a half-acre+ developed using an innovative design on the former MGP portion. These efforts enabled the stadium and facilities to open on schedule, saving $500K in costs.
Weston identified and evaluated five exposure pathways, including vapor intrusion, which posed a potential risk. A passive SSDS vapor barrier was installed (with an active option) for the new indoor facility, ensuring long-term protection for occupants. Waste management strategies reduced landfill use and transportation costs by over $1M and accelerated construction by four weeks. The parking lot design reused 30,000+ cubic yards of site material, minimizing truck traffic and disposal expenses. Advanced site characterizations and interim remedial measures, including a mobile treatment system in Phase III, yielded an additional $100K in savings.
The recent WSFS Bank Sportsplex, a central feature of the Subaru Park Stadium redevelopment in Chester, PA, encompasses seven outdoor multi-sport fields—including a championship sized grass field with spectator seating, two additional full-size grass fields, a youth-size grass field, and three full-size turf fields—paired with a cutting-edge indoor facility. Anticipated to attract more than 500,000 visitors annually, the Sportsplex serves as a dynamic economic catalyst for the city, while giving Chester’s youth new opportunities.
This project located in an environmental justice community, placed special emphasis on improvements that benefit local residents, resulting in safe, accessible recreational amenities, strengthened economic prospects, and expanded community infrastructure, such as a new youth academy and advanced training facility. Through comprehensive remediation and redevelopment, the initiative has elevated the quality of life for Chester’s residents by fostering active engagement and community pride.
Session 2E
Time: 1:30 – 4:00 PM
Reuse Role-Play Workshop: Engaging with Stakeholders to Create a Collaborative Brownfields Reuse Strategy
Becca Phillips, Mid-Atlantic TAB
During this interactive workshop, participants will work together in small groups on a project scenario. Each person will be assigned a role and given specific details to contribute to a collaborative project strategy.
Each participant will be provided handouts with information to play a role that is different than the role they have in real life. These include mayor, property owner, non-profit leader, county planner, developer, environmental scientist, banker, and community member.
The session will begin with a brief presentation about stakeholder engagement, planning, and environmental considerations. Participants will then be provided a scenario describing a brownfield reuse project — a former industrial site on the riverfront – as well as a map of the site. Participants at each table will play their assigned individual roles using project intel from their handouts to develop a collaborative solution. Each table will work together to develop project solutions.
At the end of the activity, each small group will report out to the larger group, summarizing their strategies, and a brief conclusion will reinforce lessons learned.
Presenters Lydia Work, Anna Leisher, and Becca Phillips have conducted this workshop at the 2024 Maryland Brownfields Conference and the Brownfields 2025 national conference (see attached photo). Attendees responded very well to the activity.
Networking/Visit Exhibit Booths
Time: 2:30 – 3:00 PM
Session 3A
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Transforming Brownfields into Resilient Community Assets Using Green Infrastructure Strategies
Martin McHugh, GES – Groundwater & Environmental Services
Pennsylvania’s industrial legacy, rooted in mining, steel, and railroads left many communities facing economic decline and environmental challenges. While state and federal brownfields programs have driven significant revitalization across Pennsylvania, underserved communities now face new hurdles tied to climate change. This session explores how innovative green infrastructure and nature-based solutions can transform brownfield sites into resilient community assets, leveraging multiple benefits: mitigating urban heat islands, enhancing stormwater management and flood control, improving water quality, and expanding urban green spaces. These sites can also foster recreational opportunities, safer/more vibrant neighborhoods, and even improved mental well-being. This session will present key lessons from a project that is transforming Camden NJ, just across the Delaware from Philadelphia. And it will explore how those insights are shaping a new initiative in the historic environmental justice community of McKees Rocks PA – just across the Ohio from Pittsburgh. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas to replicate green infrastructure and nature-based strategies on brownfields – to build both environmental and economic resilience for overburdened communities they are seeking to revitalize.
Viaduct Greenway – Enhancing Urban Infrastructure and Economic Vitality
Angelo Waters, Urban Engineers
This presentation explores the planning, engineering, and community coordination involved in advancing the next phase of Philadelphia’s Rail Park. Building on the success of Phase 1, the project repurposes a historic elevated rail viaduct into a public linear park that connects diverse neighborhoods to Center City. Attendees will learn about key structural and environmental considerations, phased construction strategies, and the role of stakeholder collaboration in delivering resilient, equitable public infrastructure. The session highlights lessons learned from similar rail-to-trail projects across the country and provides insight into how infrastructure reuse can serve as a catalyst for community revitalization.
Session 3B
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM
A Perfect Match for Your Downtown: Brownfields, Historic Preservation, and Tax Credits
Sean Garrigan, Stromberg Garrigan & Associates, Inc.
Successful revitalization often requires using every financing tool in the toolbox. Too often brownfields redevelopment focuses on clearing all structures to create a “shovel ready” site, with little if any consideration of the adaptive reuse potential of existing structures. This mindset is often influenced by funding programs which are attracted to the “removal of blight” and assume the cost-effectiveness of the wholesale clearing of sites. In fact, the long-term costs of building demolition are rarely considered, including the fossil fuel demands of demolition and hauling, the loss of latent energy embedded in the existing structures, as well as the solid-waste generation from disposal. So how can this mindset be overcome? There are tools in the brownfields funding toolbox to assess existing structures, determine their adaptability for new uses and bring them up to compliance with modern code requirements. In some cases, buildings are eligible for state and federal tax credit programs depending on their history as well as their intended end use. Specific cases studies from across the U.S. and Pennsylvania, utilizing U.S. EPA brownfields and other state and federal funding and tax credit programs, will be presented. Several notable community revitalization initiatives being led by SEDA Council of Governments in central PA will be presented illustrating the process of integrating environmental assessment, building condition assessments, and project feasibility will be presented. Funding and financing sources, tools, and techniques will be presented to walk through the key steps to consider before resorting to the wrecking-ball!
Brownfield Renewables: Leveraging Federal and State Programs in Pennsylvania
Patrick Redmond, Beveridge & Diamond, PC
Overview: The Practical Challenge
Pennsylvania’s brownfields present great potential for clean energy (specifically solar) development, but developers often face complex regulatory and financing hurdles. This presentation moves beyond the “why” of redeveloping these sites and focuses on “how” to execute projects efficiently and profitably. It provides a roadmap for utilizing the state’s cleanup framework, the Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards Act (“Act 2”), and how to access and stack the powerful financial incentives available under CERCLA and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to make brownfield clean energy projects viable and scalable.
Key Sections:
1: Contamination Cleanup and Liability Relief: Initiating the cleanup process under Act 2. Focus on selecting the most cost-effective Act 2 remediation standard (e.g., Statewide Health vs. Site-Specific) ensuring liability relief for the new energy development, meeting investor and lender requirements, and avoiding over-remediation.
2: Act 2 Integration for Renewable Energy Readiness:
Integration of the cleanup certification with the development plan. Covers specific permitting and documentation needed to successfully transition from a cleaned site to a viable project, ensuring that the final Act 2 documentation supports the planned solar or wind installation and complies with state environmental covenants.
3: Maximizing Federal Financial Stacking (IRA & CERCLA):
Accessing federal funds and tax benefits. Qualifying for key IRA tax credits (e.g., bonus credits for energy communities and domestic content) and structuring the project to take advantage of CERCLA liability protections and assessment grants. Include checklists for financial stacking.
4: Bridging the Local Financing Gap:
Recognizing Act 2’s lack of direct energy incentives, how to integrate localized financing tools like the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program or municipal grants after securing federal benefits. Focus on the practical steps needed for developer engagement and local government coordination to close any remaining funding gaps.
Session 3C
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Utilizing Engineering Controls and PADEPs Buyer-Seller Agreement to Facilitate a 300 Unit Townhouse Development on the Former Phoenix Iron and Steel Company, Phoenixville PA
Paul White, ARM Group LLC
Established in 1783, the Phoenix Iron Works (the Site) produced Cut Nails, Civil War Cannons, the Griffin Gun, and the famous Phoenix Column that revolutionized bridge and skyscraper construction. The Site closed in 1987
The Site was investigated by the EPA in 1988 at which time they determined the Site did not warrant a designation as a CERCLA Site. After demolition of the buildings and waste removal, the EPA determined no further action was required at the Federal Level. As such, the 45-acre Brownfield lay abandoned for several decades.
An Act 2 Remedial Investigation Report / Cleanup Plan (RIR/CP) proposing a combination of site specific and statewide health-based standard for VOCs, SVOCs, and Metals in soil and groundwater was approved by the PADEP. The primary remedial action was an engineered cap over the entire property, which included importing 100,000 cubic yards of certified clean fill to build a soil cap along with the construction of asphalt roadways, concrete sidewalks, and slab on grade foundations to complete the capping process.
The primary obstacle to completing the project was securing construction financing, as the Final Act 2 approval wouldn’t be obtained until after construction of the cap was certified, and developers were unable to finance the entire project without Act 2 relief of liability in hand.
ARM Group (formally Brickhouse Environmental), worked with the PADEP, the site owner, and the residential builders to craft a Buyer-Seller Agreement whereby an Environmental Covenant covering the entire project would be approved and filed in advance of construction. Under the terms the project could then be built in phases with Act 2 Final Reports prepared for approval following completion of separate phases. This allowed the business risk to be minimized and deferred overtime. After ARM certified construction of cap for the first group of townhomes, the Act 2 report was approved in January 2023 and the homes were quickly sold and occupied. Armed with success and a stream of revenue, subsequent phases followed the normal residential phasing process, with the 7th Final Report approved in August 2025.
The Steelpointe Development is now a thriving community bound by French Creek and the Schuylkill River Trail. Residents live a short walk to downtown Phoenixville’s restaurants and nightlife. This Project is a prime example of collaboration between regulators, developers, attorneys, and consultants.
Session 3D
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Frog Switch – Public Sector Special Purpose Entity Jump Starts Redevelopment
Jill Gaito, Gaito & Associates LLC
The Real Estate Collaborative, LLC (REC), a subsidiary of the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation (CAEDC), recently acquired the former industrial Frog, Switch, & Manufacturing Company (Frog Switch) property in Carlisle. The Frog Switch site is a former foundry located at the eastern gateway to historic downtown Carlisle. This family-owned business operated in Carlisle for more than 125 years. The company prospered with the railroad boom before realizing success as a major supplier of parts for rock crushers. The company’s early accomplishments led to an expansion of its product line in 1884 to include railroad crossings and its namesake — frogs and switches. In recent years, the company’s focus was producing manganese steel castings for crushing machines used in the mining industry. Foundry operations ceased in June of 2023.
The site is 27 acres of industrial property with 40 buildings and an onsite landfill! REC intends to prepare the site for redevelopment in order to restore the blighted industrial property to productive economic use. REC ability to secure public funding has already resulted in a funding stack of almost $12M of federal, state, local and private funding – including one of the first and highest PA SITES awards to date! The secured funding has already yielded a site reuse feasibility plan which prompted the Borough to quickly rezone the site to support the mixed-use recommendation. The additional funding will be used to accomplish remedial investigation, remediation, demolition, and other site preparation activities. REC’s ability to act stealthily, to secure funding, and to garner strong relationships and partnership in the region, will result in the site being pad-ready within 18 months of their acquisition. Hear from members of the REC Team and local and state partners about how this public sector Special Purpose Entity is “jump starting” the Frog Switch redevelopment!
Exhibit Hall Reception
Time: 4:00 – 6:00 PM
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Federal/State Update
Time: 8:00 – 9:00 AM
Details to be Announced
Breakfast/Networking/Visit Exhibit Booths
Time: 9:00 – 9:30 AM
Session 4A
Time: 9:30 – 10:30 AM
Revitalizing the Former Woolrich Woolen Mill: Vapor Intrusion Mitigation Through PFE and Tracer-Guided System Design
Jason Floyd, Mountain Research, LLC
The former Woolrich woolen mill and associated office/design buildings are located in Woolrich, Pine Township, Clinton County, Pennsylvania. Established in 1860, the Woolrich mill became one of the nation’s most prominent wool textile manufacturing facilities and played a vital role in American textile history. For more than a century, the mill served as both an industrial anchor and community center, contributing significantly to the economic development and cultural identity of rural north-central Pennsylvania. The facility remained active until 2018.
Wool processing operations included scouring, weaving, knitting, washing, and drying. During portions of the facility’s operation, dry cleaning was incorporated into the textile process, and trichloroethylene (TCE) was used extensively. Improper storage, handling, and/or disposal practices led to chlorinated-solvent–impacted soil and groundwater. Additionally, construction of building foundations, installation of subsurface utilities, the presence of a shallow groundwater table, and the use of dewatering systems created preferential migration pathways that contributed to vapor intrusion in both the mill and adjacent office/design buildings.
To evaluate and mitigate vapor intrusion, sub-slab depressurization (SSD) and sub-slab venting (SSV) vapor mitigation systems were proposed. Feasibility and diagnostic testing included pressure field extension (PFE) studies to measure the extent of differential pressure propagation from extraction points. However, negligible pressure responses were observed at select locations due to complex site conditions, including foundation design, subsurface utilities, and high porosity fill materials. To supplement PFE results, tracer studies using helium and smoke were performed. These studies not only demonstrated effective air movement under minimal vacuum conditions beneath the foundation floors but also identified leakage pathways and areas of short-circuiting at various locations in the building floors.
Integration of PFE and tracer testing data guided the vapor mitigation system design, specifically the number, placement, and configuration of extraction points. Following installation and operation of the SSD and SSV systems, post-remediation indoor air and sub-slab vapor sampling results confirmed a 95–100% reduction in chlorinated solvent concentrations, demonstrating the effectiveness of this combined approach to mitigating vapor intrusion at a historic industrial site.
Vapor Intrusion Mitigation
Jim Cinelli, P.E., BCEE, Liberty Environmental, Inc.
Vapor intrusion (VI) presents a significant challenge in the redevelopment of brownfield sites, where volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from contaminated soil or groundwater can migrate into buildings, posing risks to human health and project viability. Effective vapor intrusion mitigation strategies are critical for ensuring safe, sustainable redevelopment. This presentation will provide an overview of current best practices and commonly employed technologies when mitigating VI risks on brownfield properties.
Key topics include the assessment of site-specific factors such as subsurface conditions (including the potential for short-circuiting), building construction, and land use. Attendees will gain insight into mitigation technologies including sub-slab depressurization systems (SSDS), vapor barriers, and building ventilation systems. The presentation will explore the advantages, limitations, and cost considerations of these approaches, with case studies illustrating successful implementation.
Through real-world examples and practical guidance, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how to identify VI risks early, avoid common design pitfalls, integrate VIM into the redevelopment process, and implement cost-effective, compliant solutions that support both environmental and economic revitalization goals.
The presenter, Jim Cinelli, P.E., BCEE, is a licensed professional engineer with over 30 years of experience in investigating and remediating brownfield sites in Pennsylvania.
Session 4B
Time: 9:30 – 10:30 AM
Revitalization Playbooks – Holistic Approach to Redevelopment
Vincent Carbone, HDR Engineering, Inc.
Over the years, the redevelopment of brownfields has matured. In fact, in some cases the process of acquiring funding, characterizing sites, remediating and finally redeveloping them has become somewhat routine. For those fortunate enough to have received funding from federal or state agencies and through economic incentives, redevelopment has been a success.
Now more than ever the need is fixed on those communities that do not have the means or the expertise to manage a portfolio of smaller properties impacting a community.
It’s time to move to another level of maturity, to make brownfield redevelopment accessible to a less equipped type of community. But they need help. They need vision. They need a Brownfields Redevelopment Playbook, which provides a holistic summary of the three key factors that make for successful property community redevelopment: Economics, Power/ Infrastructure, and Environmental Stewardship. This is the first step to helping communities with limited resources prioritize their diverse and unique blend of many properties into a workable vision and plan.
This presentation will present, using case study examples, what a Redevelopment playbook may be for smaller communities, provide a pathway to receive and fund these services for their brownfield or community redevelopment.
Session 4C
Time: 9:30 – 10:30 AM
Unlocking Redevelopment Opportunities: A Practical Guide to the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) for Brownfield Projects
Nina Gabbidon, Tetra Tech
Many industry professionals are aware of the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP), the Commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of, among others, economic development projects. Recognizing that not every organization’s economic development staff has the same level of experience with the program, the session’s content to include an introduction to the basics of the program (i.e., summary, eligible uses of funds, key players, etc.), an overview of the application process (i.e., Capital Budget Itemization Act, eRACP, award, application and business plan, etc.) and compliance requirements and time for Q&A.
Session 4D
Time: 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Reuse Planning Primer 1,2,3 – Join us at the Interactive Planning Studio
Sean Garrigan, Stromberg Garrigan & Associates, Inc.
During this interactive workshop, participants will learn how to apply smart planning and creative design to help your community revitalize brownfield sites in ways that align with the local market conditions and community goals and vision. You will work with other participants during two breakout sessions to discuss how planning plays a role in brownfield site assessments, remediation, and reuse and the issues that are most important to the various stakeholders involved in a reuse planning project. Along the way, you will learn how to best prepare sites for reuse through various planning, community engagement, and site design activities. In addition, you will learn key aspects of undertaking a market analysis, developing project pro forma, and preparing financing strategies to address site clean-up and make redevelopment happen. The session will advance participants existing planning knowledge to demonstrate how planning activities can help communities prepare to safely reusing brownfields and specific planning activities that are eligible under EPA brownfields assessment and multipurpose grants with a goal of having more Pennsylvania communities taking advantage of the eligible planning elements of EPA brownfield grants.
Networking/Visit Exhibit Booths
Time: 10:30 – 11:00 AM
Session 5A
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Finding PFAS In Groundwater Doesn’t Have to be a Deal Killer
Eliot Cooper, Cascade Environmental LLC
With PFAS ubiquitous in the environment, it is highly likely it will be found in groundwater of potential brownfield sites. The first reaction would be to run, but their are technologies that can help manage the risks of redeveloping these sites.
This presentation will discuss cost effective options for remediating PFAS including offsite and onsite options, which should not add a considerable financial burden on the project economics.
Offsite options typically are the same as managing hazardous wastes, including incineration, landfill and deep well injection.
On site options for groundwater include in situ carbon sequestration, soil stabilization, and thermal treatment. Ex situ options include mobile supercritical oxidation, PFAS volume reduction through air fractionation, and many other destructive technologies.
Relative costs of these approaches will be compared to the extent of PFAS contamination so that a quick comparison to overall site redevelopment costs can be made to support a go/no-go decision.
PFAS Fate and Transport in the Context of Act 2 and Regulatory Trends
Russell Abell, Sanborn Head & Associates
PFAS continue to be a focal point of regulatory agencies including the USEPA and the PADEP and contaminants of concern at many sites including Brownfield Sites. With the 2024 changes to the media specific concentrations (MSCs) in groundwater including to 4 parts per trillion or nanograms per liter for PFOA and PFOS, addressing leaching to groundwater concerns at Brownfield sites with PFAS impacts can be a challenge. As the soil MSC is presently 100 times the groundwater MSC, but listed as 7 parts per billion (ppb) or micrograms per kilogram, it the PADEP is currently working on an alternative approach. Since USEPA has indicated they are moving to update the Federal MCL to 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, it is likely that the soil MSC will eventually be lowered to 4 ppb for these constituents. Additionally, USEPA recently decided to move forward and defend the CERCLA hazardous substance designation for PFOA and PFOS, cementing these compounds to the Brownfield Site scope of investigation and response actions. The lower soil MSC may be challenging to meet at Brownfield sites in urban areas even if a PFAS release has not occurred and likely impossible to meet where a PFAS release to soil has been documented. Therefore, PFAS will continue to make assessment and clean ups at Brownfield Sites in PA challenging. This presentation will provide background regarding PFAS fate and transport characteristics that make their migration different from other typical Brownfield Site contaminants. The presentation will also include a review of background soil data including a recent NJDEP study that looked at differences in urban settings for PFAS background that may be more relevant to Brownfield Sites generally. Finally, the presentation will also share site-specific data and investigation techniques that may be used to better understand site-specific complexities related to PFAS, taking into account some of the unique fate and transport properties of PFAS.
Session 5B
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Data Center Redevelopment Opportunities for Large Industrial Brownfield Sites
Robert Dlugos, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.; Mike Archer, P.E., Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.; Ben Clapp, Babst Calland
Large former heavy industrial properties with access to water and industrial electrical infrastructure are great sites to evaluate for potential data center development. Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc., in partnership with Babst Calland, Attorneys at Law, has navigated the process of evaluating and developing remedial approaches to make data center development possible. With the demand for data centers to continue to increase, knowing which sites to look for and then the legal and environmental hurdles to expect and how to overcome them is key to helping data center developer clients identify and redevelop sites. Our idea is to have a panel of both environmental consulting and legal experts to discuss the process and have an interactive discussion with the audience so that attendees can be educated on what data centers are, what the data center developers need in regards to site features and infrastructure, the significant demand for data centers, and the process of addressing legacy brownfield/environmental issues as part of the redevelopment process.
Session 5C
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Pennsylvania’s Underutilized Opportunities – Coal Fields
Vincent Carbone, HDR Engineering, Inc.
Sources estimate more than 250,000 acres of abandoned mines are located across approximately 45 counties in Pennsylvania with an approximate 1.4 million people living within one mile of abandoned mines. Estimates indicate over 5,000 miles of streams are impacted by acid mine drainage tied to abandoned mines. Some estimates go as high as 5 billion dollars needed to reclaim and restore an estimated 9,900 sites with environmental or health and safety issues.
Growing attention at the federal and state levels provide opportunities to improve the condition of coal lands, clean soil and surface water from legacy coal mining operations and improve the habitat of abandoned mine lands. Although Brownfields cannot be the sole source of rehabilitation, this panel discussion provides a road map and perspective on some of the challenges and opportunities for redevelopment. Panelists will be from economic development and grant funding, regulatory, and community perspective to provide insight to coal land redevelopment.
Funding Plenary
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Details to be Announced
Luncheon Buffet
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Grant Writing Workshop
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Details to be Announced