New Partners for Community Revitalization

On August 17, 2011, the USEPA formally acknowledged the City's local Brownfield Cleanup Program (LBCP). A central component of Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC, this is the first time the USEPA has ever recognized a municipal brownfield program and it opens the door for the City to use federal brownfield dollars. NPCR is quoted in Mayor Bloomberg's press release, which was released on September 12, 2011.

June 6 - 7, 2011: NPCR's 5th Annual Albany Summit
Over 120 participants and representatives of 50 BOA communities from around the state participated in the two-day event which included a series of roundtable discussions and a networking dinner. Read more.

May 20, 2011: NPCR convened NYC BOA CBOS at the Mertz Gilmore Foundation for a roundtable discussion about administration of the BOA Program, New York City's PlaNYC and lessons learned in the field. The CBO reps provided feedback on NPCR's suggested "BOA tweaks" bill, the City's new Community Brownfields Planning District program announced in PlaNYC 2.0, and suggested concrete BOA program fixes for anticipated DOS BOA program guidance.

April 20, 2011: NYSDOS Announces $6.5 million in Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program Grants
Reflecting NPCR’s important role in securing the most recent round of 21 BOA awards, NPCR Co-Director Jody Kass was quoted in the press release issued by the Department of State, "Today’s announcement about BOA awards affirms the Cuomo administration’s commitment to work with municipalities and neighborhoods to reverse the cycle of disinvestment and decay that has disproportionately impacted many low and moderate income neighborhoods and communities of color. These are smart investments that will help revitalize neighborhoods plagued by multiple brownfields and will create thousands of jobs." Read the full article.

March 2011 Capacity Building Workshop March 24, 2011: Capacity Building Workshop #3
The OER/NPCR 3rd Capacity Building Workshop took place at the Central Park Room at 100 Gold Street. It was well attended by approximately 35 BOA CBOs and city agency representatives. Read more.

Photo courtesy of Breanna Gribble, OER

February 10, 2011: Capacity Building Workshop #2 February 10, 2011 Capacity Building Workshop
The second OER/NPCR workshop was held at the NYC Department of Transportation’s offices. The four-hour workshop followed the same format as Workshop 1, it featured introductoryspeakers from the NYC Mayor’s Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability and the NYC Office of Environmental Remediation, showcased two city agencies who co-led sessions with BOA CBOs and included an overview of the BOA Program. Read more.

Photo courtesy of Breanna Gribble, OER

February 7, 2011 Smart Growth Outlook Report in the News: Lenny Siegel of Center for Public Environmental Oversight said: In January New Partners for Community Revitalization (NPCR) published its analysis of New York State’s brownfields programs, "Smart Growth Outlook 2011: Challenges and Opportunities in Brownfields, Area-wide Planning & Implementation." "It’s the best description of New York’s brownfields strategies that I’ve seen." Read his review.

January 2011: NPCR released its report, Smart Growth Outlook 2011: Challenges and Opportunities in Brownfields, Area-wide Planning & Implementation. The report highlights the 27,500 jobs that are being created as a result of a $25 million investment by the State of New York in 100 communities through the Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) program. In addition, the report lays out a roadmap to achieve Authentic Community Engagement, which is the cornerstone of achieving environmental justice and smart growth. It also highlights the importance of program flexibility to address the needs of both strong market and weak market areas – in urban, suburban and rural communities; and, contains lessons learned about inter-agency cooperation and cross-government collaboration to advance place-based redevelopment projects, which is becoming increasingly important as government agencies at all levels are being asked to do more with less.

Tying the knot December 1, 2010: NPCR held its 3rd Annual Brownfields Forum entitled: “Evolution of Brownfields: From Policies to Partnerships.” The full day event was hosted by National Grid and attended by nearly 200 community development leaders representing 50 communities, including BOA grantees, developers, lenders, consultants and local, city, state and federal agency representatives. Read more.

November 23, 2010: Capacity Building Workshop
The first OER/NPCR Brownfields Capacity Building Workshop took place at City Hall. It was well attended by approximately 40 BOA CBOs and city agency representatives. The Mayor’s new Director of the Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability kicked off the Workshop with a discussion of PlaNYC 2.0 and the City’s area-wide community based planning strategy. The first half of the workshop was co-led by the NYC Department of City Planning and SoBRO and focused on their collaboration on a rezoning effort in the Bronx. Following their session, information sessions on site eligibility criteria for EPA petroleum site assessment funds and BOA basics were provided. The second session was co-led by the NYC Economic Development Corporation and NYC Small Business Services and UPROSE and GJDC. The Workshop provided detailed information about the agencies and the CBOs and excellent examples of collaborative planning efforts in the City. Follow-up discussions focused on how such collaborations can be replicated by other agencies and CBOs participating in the BOA program.

BCP Signing August 5, 2010: New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis executed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that empowers the New York City Local Brownfield Cleanup Program. NPCR had successfully worked to ensure that the 2009 Local Law that authorized this program was protective of neighborhoods. NPCR issued testimony on the regulations in support of the program on October 19, 2009. NPCR also provided written statements during the 30 day public comment period. NPCR views this MOA as an important milestone in advancing a strong city program. NPCR was quoted in Mayor Bloomberg’s press release. NPCR Executive Director Jody Kass said, "New Partners for Community Revitalization (NPCR) has long advocated for a strong City response to NYC’s brownfield challenges because too many self-directed cleanups have been conducted in NYC without any regulatory oversight or community participation. We strongly support the City’s new brownfield cleanup program because it will encourage more cleanups of brownfields in poor communities and these cleanups, under the oversight of OER, will be as clean as those conducted in other parts of the state under the state brownfield cleanup program." Click here to see Mayor Bloomberg’s press release.

Photo: Mayor Bloomberg and DEC Commissioner Grannis execute Brownfield Agreement (Photo credit: Edward Reed)

BOA Meeting June 24, 2010: Capacity Building Project Kicks off
The kick-off meeting for the Capacity Building project with NYCOER took place on June 24th at City Hall. Representatives of six city agencies participated with CBO representatives involved with the NYS BOA program. The preliminary workshop outline with workshop topics and roles of city agencies and CBOs was the main topic of discussion. A series of three workshops will be held with the first one scheduled for early November 2010.

Photo: NYC OER

June 21, 2010: NPCR Provides Recommendations on NYC Brownfield Financial Incentive Grant Program
NPCR has worked to help shape the City’s brownfield financial incentive program. On April 16, 2010 NPCR submitted written testimony outlining recommendations to ensure that the City brownfield resources work for low- and moderate-income communities. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg officially launched the Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation’s Brownfields Incentive Grant (BIG) Program on June 21, 2010. This program provides financial incentives for the study and cleanup of brownfields properties, and advances an important goal of PlaNYC. According to the press release, the BIG program will make over $9 million in City funds available over the next several years. NPCR’s Executive Director, Jody Kass was quoted in Mayor Bloomberg’s press release saying "We applaud the City for these thoughtful and fiscally responsible new brownfield resources which will be particularly important for projects in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods and communities of color." A copy of the press release is available.

June 18, 2010: NPCR Comments in Support of the Memorandum of Agreement between the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York City Office of Environmental Remediation: On June 9th, a 30-day public comment period began on the draft Memorandum of Agreement between NYSDEC and the NYCOER. This MOA is crucially important to getting brownfield sites moving in low- and moderate-income NYC neighborhoods. [Read NPCR’s comments.] A copy of the MOA can be downloaded here and written comments should be submitted to Dale A. Desnoyers, Division of Environmental Remediation Remediation Director, by Friday, July 9, 2010 at NYSDEC, Division of Environmental Remediation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-7011 or e-mailed to DEC.

On May 10/11th, 2010, NPCR’s held its 4th two-day Brownfields Summit in Albany, entitled New Opportunities for New York: BOA Spotlight Communities, and Place-Based Regional Collaboration. The Summit was attended by representatives of over 50 communities that are participating in the BOA program. Read More.

March 2010: Sign-On Letter To Expand Non-Profit Eligibility for EPA Brownfields Grants
Please consider adding your organization’s name to the linked letter that calls for changes to the 2002 Brownfields Law to expand nonprofit eligibility for EPA site assessment and revolving loan fund grants. The letter was written to address questions raised by congressional staff relating to accountability and legitimacy of nonprofits and to underscore the tremendous capacity that nonprofits deliver on projects in low income communities. The goal is to get over 100 nonprofits to sign on and to deliver the letter to the US House of Representatives and the US Senate late this year or in 2010. (To add your organization’s name to the sign-on list, please send an email to Jody Kass with the exact spelling of your organization and its location.)

March 2010: NPCR Updates its Brownfields Tax Credit Proposal - Please Provide Your Feedback
Over the last year, NPCR has continued its work on the NYS Brownfields Tax Credits and, in concert with others, has developed a new proposal for administering the tax credits. We are now seeking ideas and comments from brownfield stakeholders on our proposal. Please download the memo, make your suggestions, and send them to Jody Kass at jodykass@npcr.net.

In January 2010, the National Brownfield Nonprofit Network Initiative (NBNNI) released a report which identified initiatives to advance EPA’s brownfields cleanup and redevelopment programs by extending the reach of government through stronger partnerships with nonprofit organizations. NPCR is a founding member of NBNNI, which is a national collaboration of nonprofit organizations involved in hands-on brownfields redevelopment. Read the report.

December 2, 2009: Announcing The Place-Based Regional Collaboration Pilot
Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez announced today a new initiative, the Place-Based Regional Collaboration Pilot, which strengthens the partnership between New York State and the federal government to advance community revitalization. The Secretary was joined today by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Transportation in making the announcement at the New Partners for Community Revitalization 2nd Annual Brownfields Forum. Today’s announcement marks a new avenue of state-federal collaboration. Read more.

December 2, 2009: NPCR Hosts its Second Annual Brownfields Forum
NPCR hosted its Second Annual Brownfields Forum entitled New Directions in Brownfields: Building Sustainable Communities through Stronger City, State and Federal Partnerships. The Forum, hosted by National Grid, was attended by over 250 brownfield stakeholders who heard from community development, environmental justice and government leaders involved in sustainability and neighborhood renewal. The event achieved national recognition when Secretary of State Lorraine Cortes Vazquez announced the Place-Based Regional Collaboration Pilot, a new NYS partnership with federal agencies to advance community revitalization. Forum Panel #1 focused on ways in which the EPA-HUD-DOT Partnership for Sustainable Communities could be connected to the NYS DOS Brownfield Opportunity Area Program. Panel #2 discussed the NYS Brownfield Cleanup Program and shortcomings in the NYS law that affects eligibility and limits the ability to use brownfield tax credits to advance the construction of affordable housing projects on brownfields. The last panel focused on the NYC Brownfields and Community Revitalization Act signed by Mayor Bloomberg on May 11, 2009with a particular focus on the significant support it offers to NYC BOA grantees. Statements on the importance of brownfields revitalization, efforts to revitalize brownfields in low- and moderate-income communities and legislative proposals, were received from several invited speakers including State Senator Antoine M. Thompson, Assemblyman Robert K. Sweeney and US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

November 2009: NPCR and Federal Policy Initiatives at Brownfields 2009 in New Orleans
NPCR is a member of the National Brownfield Nonprofit Network Initiative (NBNNI) which is a coalition of nonprofit organizations involved in hands-on brownfields redevelopment and neighborhood revitalization in communities across the country. NBNNI is developing a national agenda that reflects the needs of nonprofits who are interested in fostering a stronger partnership with EPA and in strengthening EPA’s efforts to advance the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield sites. NBNNI has developed several initiatives about which we are now seeking input. Please download the straw summaries and complete a short Feedback Form and email the form to Laura Truettner.

October 7, 2009: $10 million in Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Program Grants Announced
Governor David Paterson announced the award of more than $10 million in Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Program grants for 24 projects across NYS; the award included almost $3 million for New York City BOAs. NYS BOA grants support an innovative area wide planning approach to manage the often intractable problems associated with brownfield redevelopment. NPCR’s Executive Director, Jody Kass was quoted in the press release: “The Brownfield Opportunity Area Program is a strong community renewal tool that is beginning to reverse the cycle of disinvestment in urban communities by creating new value and economic opportunity. The Governor’s announcement that another 25 grant awards have been made is a significant step forward for the state’s economy and the creation of healthy neighborhoods.” (NPCR had been advocating since April for the State to make these awards.) Read the Governor’s press release.

On July 30, 2009, Governor Paterson appointed NPCR Executive Director Jody Kass as a member of the New York Brownfields Advisory Board, at the recommendation of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

June 10, 2009: NPCR Co-Director Mathy Stanislaus Headed to Washington
Co-Director Mathy Stanislaus has left NPCR to assume his new position in Washington, D.C. as Assistant Administrator of EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER), a position that among other responsibilities includes EPA’s Brownfields Program. NPCR wishes Mathy the best of luck in his new position and looks forward to the new focus at EPA on low income areas burdened by environmental injustices and community engagement in environmental issues and programs.

May 27, 2009: Feedback on NPCR Proposal
NPCR and others have been working to develop proposals to help solve the fundamental problems that prevent New York’s Brownfield Cleanup Program from achieving its full potential. The linked memo is a work in progress as we develop a new NPCR proposal that addresses these inequitable funding issues. As a leader in state government, or in the redevelopment community, we are seeking ideas and comments from brownfield stakeholders on our proposal. Please download the memo, make your suggestions, and send them to Jody Kass at jodykass@npcr.net.

May 22, 2009: NPCR Co-Director Jody Kass Recommended for New York Brownfields Advisory Board
New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver recommended to Governor Paterson that NPCR Co-Director Jody Kass be appointed to the New York Brownfields Advisory Board created by the June 2008 amendments to the NYS Brownfields Law. The purpose of the Board is to serve as a working forum for the exchange of views, concerns, ideas and recommendations relating to the State’s brownfield programs.

May 11, 2009: Mayor Bloomberg Signs Legislation Developing Comprehensive Brownfields Program
Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed legislation developing a comprehensive program for the remediation and reuse of brownfields. Read the Mayor’s press release.

April 27 & 28, 2009: NPCR Holds Brownfield Summit III in Albany
Over 100 brownfields stakeholders participated in the two-day event which included a Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Roundtable discussion and reception on the afternoon of the 27th, presentations by two Spotlight BOA Communities on the morning of the 28th, an intensive workshop on resources for site assessment and remediation, and a panel presentation by state agency officials on significant brownfield projects they have undertaken. The Summit also included presentations from several keynote speakers, including senior elected and government officials. Learn more about the Summit.

November 17, 2008: Highlights of NPCR’s First Brownfields Forum
Over 180 people attended NPCR’s Brownfields Forum entitled: “Urban Revitalization 2009: Building the Smart Growth Link Between Redevelopment and Sustainable Communities.” Participants included nonprofit and for-profit lenders and developers, community based organizations, environmental justice representatives, environmental groups, environmental insurance industry representatives, State and municipal officials, lawyers, and consultants. Read more.

November 17, 2008: DOS Announces Brownfields Smart Growth ’Spotlight Communities’ Initiative
Governor David A. Paterson and Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez announced on this date the Brownfields Smart Growth Spotlight Communities Initiative. This initiative links communities participating in the state’s Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) Program with the Governor’s Smart Growth Cabinet. This state-local partnership will demonstrate how existing state programs can support and complement local efforts to redevelop brownfields and simultaneously achieve neighborhood revitalization and smart growth objectives. Read the full release.

July 23, 2008: Reform of Brownfields Legislation: BOA and BTCs
The Legislation (S.8717/A.11768) that passed the Senate and Assembly and was signed by Governor Paterson on July 23, 2008 contains several important provisions that reform the State’s brownfield tax credits and brings much needed streamlining to the Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) program. Read more.

March 7, 2008: New MOU will release more BOA Funds
The NYS Governor, Speaker and Senate Majority Leader have entered into an MOU that will release millions in funds for Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) grants across the State including $2.7 million in BOA funds for ten projects in New York City. Read Mayor Bloomberg’s press statement.

May 20, 2008 NPCR Convening in Albany
The success of the March 3 and 4, 2008 Summit and the need to continue to press for reforms to the BOA Program prompted NPCR to organize the Second Brownfields Summit on May 20, 2008. NPCR organized a brownfields breakfast, a press conference, and a roundtable for BOA grantees hosted by the Department of State. Read More.

Summit March 3 & 4, 2008 Convening in Albany
On March 3 and 4, 2008 NPCR held a Brownfields Summit in Albany. NYSDEC hosted a roundtable for current and pending BOA grantees and municipal and community development leaders from all over NYS attended. The summit was an overwhelming success and helped break a three-year logjam that resulted in the award of $7.25 million in BOA funds that had been held up by bureaucratic procedures. Read More.

October 22, 2007: Groundbreaking at Atlantic Terrace
Atlantic Terrace is a mixed-use, mixed income homeownership development at 669 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn that is being built by FAC and its partners, MAP Development and Line Development. This tri-venture was awarded the Cornerstone site in 2003 through a Atlantic Terrace, Brooklyn, New York competitive bidding process conducted by the City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The project will have 80 homeownership units, 50% will be affordable to low income families and 25% will be affordable to middle income families. The building will feature 12,000 square feet of ground floor retail and space and 87 subgrade parking spaces. Moreover, Atlantic Terrace will be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Building, achieving the development team’s goal of producing high quality sustainable affordable housing. Given the tremendous need for and nature of this project, it is no surprise that it was recently featured in the Mayor’s PlaNYC:2030 A Greener, Greater New York. Read more.

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