Why does it cost so much? This webinar focuses on what goes into a real estate development project and how it is financed. We will review a proforma and discuss sources of capital, uses of funds, and expectations for profit. We will introduce how environmental issues impact the finance process and how they are addressed. The objective is to develop an understanding of what it takes to pay for a development project and what investors need to provide funds for redevelopment.

This is the third webinar in a FREE webinar series for the Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization's (OBLR) RE-Development Academy for Communities, which also includes a half-day workshop at the 2019 National Brownfields Training Conference. Together, they comprise a single, full Academy program designed to provide community members with a general understanding of real estate and brownfields redevelopment. Each session builds on information and skills covered in each of the previous sessions in the series and a workshop at the conference where you will compete to redevelop a most valuable and complicated brownfields site. Your participation in each session will ensure you get the most out of the training.

This webinar is being offered for community members (including local governments, economic development and environmental protection departments, community nonprofits, brownfield redevelopment agencies & other local stakeholders), technical assistance providers, and state and tribal partners.

Presenters:

Michael Taylor, Vita Nuova, LLC
Michael Taylor, President of Vita Nuova LLC, a national consultancy, leads the repositioning and disposition of complex sites including former nuclear sites, refineries, chemical facilities and sites with significant stigma due to off-site contamination or other issues. Vita Nuova has become known as a specialist in creating value where none exists and developing approaches to long-term sustainable outcomes for all parties. Mr. Taylor has a broad background in environmental science, planning, real estate, stakeholder engagement and sustainability. He chaired the ASTM task group for the National Standard on Sustainable Brownfields Redevelopment and served on the US EPA National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee from 1998-2002. He has trained over 3,000 local economic development, state and federal officials in real estate and redevelopment of contaminated properties, co-authored numerous publications and guidance for US EPA and others and contributed to national brownfields, RCRA and superfund redevelopment policy. He was a graduate Rockefeller fellow at Yale University, where he studied Environmental Science, Public Policy and Ethics. He graduated Cum Laude in Urban Planning and Economics from Roanoke College, is a certified planner with the American Planning Association, and a full member of the Urban Land Institute.

Elaine Richardson, Vita Nuova, LLC
Elaine Richardson has 20 years of experience in senior positions in firms servicing the real estate and environmental industries. She brings leadership and expertise to the position, ensuring that the best possible solutions are provided to clients as well as managing tough issues with stakeholders—public, press, government, and industry. Ms. Richardson has prepared over a dozen reuse assessments on environmentally impaired properties, integrating market opportunities with property constraints. Additionally, Ms. Richardson has focused her communications skills in educating communities on issues related to contamination and redevelopment, and helps build support for the redevelopment of underutilized properties and preservation of green space. Ms. Richardson has significant experience in the real estate industry as a researcher and strategist. She has worked with nationally recognized commercial developers on acquisition identification and analysis, community relations and marketing. Ms. Richardson has authored numerous articles related to environmental, engineering, and real estate issues. She is the past president of The Real Estate Exchange and an active member in the Commercial Real Estate Women National Network. Ms. Richardson has completed industry training in hazardous building materials and OSHA compliance issues. She earned her BS in Communications and Marketing from Southern Connecticut State University.

Tony Bialecki, Vita Nuova, LLC
Tony Bialecki is a Senior Economic Development Consultant with Vita Nuova, bringing over 35 years of development experience to the Vita Nuova team. He has worked with a wide range of public and private entities to create economic development opportunities resulting in increased job growth and the creation of real estate and business investment. As a licensed Commercial Realtor Mr. Bialecki has worked on behalf of buyers, tenants and sellers of real property to locate, relocate and expand businesses and create investment opportunities. He works with municipalities to identify potential businesses and investors to locate within distressed areas. Mr. Bialecki was the former Deputy Director of Economic Development for the City of New Haven. During his 35 years of economic development work, he managed public and private development projects including area-wide and strategic planning for the reuse of older industrial and commercial districts, and remediation of brownfield sites, including demolition of vacant industrial and commercial structures. He has significant experience helping businesses and developers secure necessary traffic, zoning and site plan approvals for development projects. Mr. Bialecki holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Urban & Regional Planning from William James College at Grand Valley University and a Masters of Urban Planning degree from the University of Michigan, and is a member of NAIOP.

Moderator:

Aimee Storm, U.S. EPA, Office of Brownfield and Land Revitalization (storm.aimee@epa.gov or 202-566-0633)
Aimee Storm is EPA's Land Revitalization Coordinator within EPA's Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR). Her work supports community-led redevelopment of contaminated properties and associated neighborhood revitalization strategies. Prior to joining OBLR, Aimee worked on projects that promote green and healthy buildings and sustainable development approaches within EPA Region V's Chicago office. She also worked with EPA's Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office, where she coordinated EPA's land reuse and revitalization efforts on federally-owned properties, including military base redevelopment. Aimee holds Masters Degrees in City & Regional Planning and Business Administration.

Webinar Slides and References:

• Slide Presentation for Michael Taylor, Elaine Richardson, and Abbie Emison, Vita Nuova, LLC (17.9MB/PDF)

Webinar Slides and References:

• Slide Presentation for Michael Taylor, Elaine Richardson, and Abbie Emison, Vita Nuova, LLC (17.9MB/PDF)

Additional Resources: