A photo from the National Brownfields Conference in 2017, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (photo courtesy brownfields2019.org)

The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation’s (LVEDC) redevelopment program will once again be featured in the premier national conference focused on environmental revitalization and economic redevelopment.

LVEDC has been selected to make a presentation at the 2019 National Brownfields Conference, the nation’s largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing formerly utilized commercial and industrial properties.

This marks the second LVEDC has been invited to speak at the National Brownfields Conference, having previously been invited to participate in the 2015 conference held in Chicago, according to Andrew Kleiner, LVEDC Director of External Affairs and Redevelopment.

LVEDC’s program, the Lehigh Valley Land Recycling Initiative (LVLRI), is one of only a handful programs around the world to be selected for this year’s conference from a highly competitive field of applicants.

“A lot of people come to these conferences to learn what programs are out there so they can emulate best practices,” Kleiner said. “The fact that LVLRI has repeatedly been invited to participate shows reaffirms that we have one of the strongest redevelopment programs in the nation.”

LVLRI has also been featured prominently at the Pennsylvania Brownfields Conference for multiple years. The Lehigh Valley even hosted the event last year, when it was held at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in October.

LVLRI accomplishes brownfields redevelopment in several ways, including helping site owners and developers identify financial assistance for environmental assessment and remediation work at brownfield sites, and by assisting on technical matters such as grant/loan application preparation, environmental work plan preparation, and the completion of buyer/seller agreements.

Additionally, LVLRI serves as an intermediary between all parties involved in a brownfield transaction, and maintains an inventory of underutilized commercial/industrial properties throughout the Lehigh Valley. Fostering economic development while protecting human health and the environment is one way in which LVEDC works to support sustainable development.

The 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.

The 2019 National Brownfields Conference is co-sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The conference is held every two years, and includes three days of training sessions, speakers, discussions, mobile workshops, networking opportunities, and business development.