Sustainable Development

The Lehigh Valley Land Recycling Initiative (LVLRI), LVEDC’s redevelopment program, is focused on promoting economic development through the reuse of abandoned and underutilized commercial and industrial properties, also known as brownfields. Fostering economic development while protecting human health and the environment is an important element of LVEDC’s efforts to support sustainable development.

Redeveloping an underutilized commercial or industrial site can offer your business radical cost savings and the opportunity to inhabit a unique setting.

LVLRI is an advisory committee comprised of municipal officials from cities, boroughs, and townships in both Lehigh and Northampton counties, as well as brownfield experts, regulatory agency representatives, private developers, engineers, and consultants. LVEDC provides a wide array of services to those interested in the redevelopment of sites.

LVLRI continues to gain national recognition for its track record of accomplishment, having been featured in the National Brownfields Conference in Chicago.

Bell Hall, an Allentown gourmet burger restaurant, is one of LVLRI’s success stories. (Photo courtesy: Jeff Brown)

LVEDC will partner with you to find a site that’s right for your business and guide you through the redevelopment process. LVLRI accomplishes its brownfields redevelopment goals in several ways:

• Helping site owners and developers identify financial assistance for environmental assessment and remediation work at brownfield sites.
• Assisting on technical matters such as grant/loan application preparation, environmental work plan preparation, and the completion of buyer/seller agreements.
• Serving as an intermediary between all the parties involved with a brownfield transaction, allowing for the smooth and efficient redevelopment of brownfield sites.
• Maintaining an inventory of underutilized commercial/industrial properties throughout the Lehigh Valley.