LVEDC’s Redevelopment Director Discusses Brownfields in AEDC Interview
By Colin McEvoy on April 25, 2017
LVEDC Director of Redevelopment and External Affairs Andrew Kleiner (right) was recently interviewed by the Allentown Economic Development Corporation.
The Allentown Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) recently interviewed Andrew Kleiner, the Director of Redevelopment and External Affairs for the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), for a story featured in the AEDC newsletter and website. The full story can be found here, and a portion can be found below.
You might not think of brownfield redevelopment as being trendy, but Andrew Kleiner at the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation knows it is.
“Brownfields are back,” he says excitedly. “When it comes to redevelopment, brownfields are where it’s at. That’s because they actually cost less to redevelop in the long term. There might be additional expenses for site preparation up front, but over time it works out to the same or less than developing a greenfield because the infrastructure’s already there.”
As Director of Redevelopment and External Affairs, he is charged with leading the Lehigh Valley Land Recycling Initiative, which focuses on the reuse of abandoned and underutilized commercial and industrial properties. LVLRI applies for and receives federal grant funds from the Environmental Protection Agency to assist in the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield sites. The organization also layers federal and state funding programs for maximum effect to help get a site redeveloped.
Kleiner and the LVEDC team really know what they’re doing; LVLRI just completed one of its busiest and most successful years in its 18-year history, working on 21 active redevelopment projects in various stages and securing nearly $1 million in federal grant funding for regional development.
“We cultivate strong relationships with representatives from the three cities and two counties that LVEDC serves,” Kleiner explained. “It’s partnerships and working together that gets these projects done, and we have a great relationship with Allentown Economic Development Corporation.”
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