Speaker: Time To Prep Local Brownfields Is Now
Robert Colangelo, executive director of the National Brownfields Association speaks at the event.
State, municipal and academic officials were encouraged this morning to invest in brownfields now in order to be ready for an eventual economic turnaround.
The various officials met this morning at the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester to discuss the state's 10 years of brownfields reclamation and redevelopment at 1,330 contaminated properties in 225 communities across the state.
National Brownfield Association Executive Director Robert Colangelo, the keynote speaker, congratulated officials on the effectiveness of the state's programs to redevelop contaminated properties. "You have the best program in the country, but it's not as well known in the country and you have to get the word out."
Colangelo also said that a down real estate market is a great time for communities to get properties in shape for the eventual market turnaround.
"Time is your enemy many times when a property is being developed, but now it is your friend. You can reposition the property, clean it up and get it shovel-ready for when the market comes around," he said.
The Boys & Girls Club at 65 Tainter St. in Worcester is part of a continuing 7.8 acre mixed-use brownfield redevelopment project.
Other properties that were discussed included the ongoing development at Gateway Park in Worcester, the former GE plant on Boulder Drive in Fitchburg and the Bernat Mill property in downtown Uxbridge. The Bernat Mill was destroyed by fire last year.
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