Detroit hosts National Brownfields conference at Cobo Center May 5 - 7

More than 6,000 environmental and economic development officials, finance and insurance providers, risk managers, planners, attorneys, civil engineers and students are expected to attend the 12th National Brownfields Conference, May 5 - 7, 2008, at Detroit’s Cobo Center.

Addressing the nation’s brownfields - abandoned or underutilized properties stigmatized by past commercial or industrial uses - is an ongoing challenge for communities of every size. By focusing on redevelopment, properties are put back into productive use for communities while helping to keep undeveloped lands in a natural state.

The National Brownfields Conference’s educational program features more than 150 sessions on green development, remediation, risk management, real estate and much more. The annual Phoenix Awards for top projects in each of the 10 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regions will be announced. More than 250 exhibitors will display the latest technologies and services. Seven mobile workshops and a walking tour will highlight local Detroit approaches to redevelopment from the Central Business District to Detroit East’s Waterfront to the Inner Ring Suburbs and Downriver areas. Numerous networking events, special training sessions and film screenings are also on the agenda.

A unique conference feature is the Brownfields Transaction Forum, which brings together property owners with developers, investors and financiers to talk about specific sites available for purchase, lease and new uses. At the previous conference, in Boston in 2006, nearly 500 buyers, sellers and other stakeholders involved with redevelopment-ready properties attended the Forum. The 2008 Forum will be held on the first day of the conference, May 5, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The National Brownfields Conference is managed by the International City/County Management Association, in partnership with EPA. More than 120 organizations, including many in southeast Michigan, have endorsed the event.