Redevelopment Trailblazers

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May 2025

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About the show

The Redevelopment Trailblazers podcast features public and private sector innovators tackling complex issues to help rebuild America’s distressed communities. Integrating sustainable environmental and economic practices, these pioneers implement creative solutions that spur reinvestment in and transformation of the country’s most challenging neighborhoods. Join us as we talk with the changemakers who bring real-world approaches and successful strategies to brownfields redevelopment, urban renewal, and community revitalization.

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21 recent

May 22, 2025Episode 1918 min

The Inside Game: Delivering Results on Challenging Redevelopment Projects

In this episode, Vita Nuova member Dale Kroop discusses his four-decade career in economic and community development. He says he was able to cultivate strong relationships because of his ability to complete projects on time and on budget, which ultimately made the redevelopments he worked on successful. Dale stresses that the capital he’s built with each completed project has enabled him to take creative risks while laying the foundation of his career. His expertise in capacity building means he knows what it takes in terms of skills and staff to build a thriving economic and community development organization. He also speaks about the importance of inspiring new generations of community builders and developers to enter the redevelopment field. More details about Dale’s successful approach can be found in his new book, How to Get the Job Done: Adventures in Economic and Community Development.

January 26, 2025Episode 1817 min

Reimagining Appalachia: Transforming Shuttered Coal Plants into Community Assets w/Wendy Patton and Jesse Roush

Reimagining Appalachia: Transforming Shuttered Coal Plants into Community Assets w/Wendy Patton and Jesse Roush In late 2024, we talked with two practitioners in the Appalachian region about the redevelopment of shuttered coal-fired power plants. Jesse Roush, Executive Director of the Southeastern Ohio Port Authority, describes two projects his organization is tackling that are poised to bring new job opportunities to the community in a symbiotic, complementary way. Wendy Patton of ReImagine Appalachia discusses her organization's role in supporting similar redevelopment efforts throughout the region, focusing on incorporating community voices into these initiatives and enhancing them by sharing its extensive resources and broad expertise.

September 16, 2024Episode 1721 min

Coming Together to Facilitate Redevelopment : The Surplus Property Roundtable w/Mike Goldstein and Mike Malley

Mike Goldstein and Mike Malley join the Redevelopment Trailblazers podcast to talk about the Surplus Property Roundtable (SPR) – a consortium made up of real estate and environmental managers from Fortune 500 companies who are responsible for the management, remediation, repurposing, and disposition of surplus real estate assets with legacy environmental issues. We talk about the surplus property market generally – where it is today and where it's headed – and the specific role of SPR in sharing best practices and lessons learned for this work.

July 12, 2024Episode 1629 min

Revitalizing Energy Communities w/Brian Anderson

In this episode, Brian Anderson joins the podcast to discuss how the Energy Communities Interagency Working Group helps communities impacted by coal mine and coal power plant closures transition to new economic opportunities. Formed in 2021, the IWG coordinates federal investments and resources to support job creation, economic revitalization, and infrastructure improvements in these areas. In his role as Executive Director of the IWG and Senior Advisor on Energy Communities at the U.S. Department of Energy, Brian talks about the history and unique needs of these communities and how the participating federal agencies work together with various stakeholders to ensure that results are community-driven. He also highlights the funding opportunities available to these communities along with the various tax credits, including clean energy manufacturing tax credits, offered to facilitate private-sector investment in these areas. Brian's parting advice to communities dealing with these transition challenges? Take the first step to learn more about the full range of resources offered through this initiative. You can also reach out directly to the IWG navigator team here.

June 5, 20241 hr 4 min

BONUS: Exploring Strategies for Sustainable Redevelopment of Industrial Properties from the Corporate Perspective [Redevelopment Trailblazers Webinar]

Industrial property owners often face the challenge of having closed facilities and retired assets that are strong candidates for repurposing but are hindered by legacy contamination and other issues that complicate redevelopment. Establishing a strategic approach to managing, remediating, and ultimately finding new uses for these surplus properties can be difficult. This webinar will showcase success stories from the corporate disposition perspective, focusing on three major sites in Wilmington, DE, Oakley, CA, and Beaumont, TX. This discussion will explore the challenges, lessons learned, and best practices to navigate the complexities to ensure the sustainable redevelopment of industrial sites. Click here to view the webinar recording.

March 1, 20241 hr 0 min

BONUS: The Power of Partnerships: Exploring ULI’s Homeless to Housed Initiative [Redevelopment Trailblazers Webinar]

In 2022, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) launched its Homeless to Housed (H2H) initiative through the release of its report “Homeless to Housed: The ULI Perspective.” The report, along with ULI’s growing H2H solutions library, showcases successful public-private-provider partnerships (P4s) and their vital role in delivering affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness. In this inaugural Redevelopment Trailblazers webinar, join our esteemed panelists for a discussion about ULI’s ongoing efforts through its H2H initiative to address the complex issue of homelessness. The conversation will focus on how the real estate development community can partner to help alleviate the critical shortage of affordable housing in the United States and champion transformative change. To view the webinar recording, click here.

November 15, 2023Episode 1518 min

Buildings that Create Jobs: Exploring Business Incubators w/ Tom Mancuso

In this episode, Vita Nuova member Tom Mancuso discusses the key elements of taking a business incubator approach to creating local, long-lasting jobs for a community while recycling industrial and commercial properties. Based on decades of experience running the family business that pioneered this approach, Tom outlines the essential components of successful business incubators. He also emphasizes the versatility of these projects across communities, regardless of size. Ultimately, this strategy creates new employment opportunities, solves economic problems, and redevelops brownfield sites. Working through Vita Nuova, Tom can bring this expertise to communities across the country! Tom’s book, Buildings That Create Jobs, provides a detailed guide for anyone interested in establishing, leasing, and operating business incubators and local business centers within adaptively reused buildings.

July 12, 2023Episode 1420 min

A Visionary Journey through Brownfields Redevelopment w/ Patricia Overmeyer

⁠⁠Patricia Overmeyer⁠⁠ is the Deputy Director of the EPA's ⁠⁠Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization⁠⁠. A pioneer in the field, she has been a leader in shaping brownfield redevelopment policies and implementation for nearly 25 years. Prior to becoming OBLR’s Deputy Director, she also served as Team Leader for the Brownfields Policy, Research and Outreach Team and worked in US EPA’s Hazardous Waste Identification Division. Patricia is also responsible for coordinating the ⁠⁠National Brownfields Training Conference⁠⁠. In this episode, Patricia delves into how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has broadened the financial resources available for brownfields redevelopment. While highlighting the newfound opportunities this legislation brings, she also sheds light on the numerous challenges that persist. Looking toward the future, she offers insightful predictions on the ongoing evolution of the industry and gives an interesting preview of the 2023 National Brownfields Training Conference (Detroit, August 8–11). ⁠⁠Be sure to register today!

March 22, 2023Episode 1224 min

The Power of Solar on Brownfield Sites w/ Annika Colston

What do closed landfills, sand and gravel pits, quarries, and formerly-mined coal sites all have in common? They are all candidates for solar development. In this episode of Redevelopment Trailblazers, we speak with Annika Colston, Founder and President of AC Power, the only company of its kind that focuses solely on the development of solar on brownfield sites and other previously disturbed properties. Annika describes AC Power’s unique approach, the process for evaluating whether a site is a good candidate for solar development, key considerations to ensure project viability, and the promise solar redevelopment projects can hold for communities and the renewable energy market.

February 22, 2023Episode 1120 min

The Economic Transformation of the South Bronx w/ Neil Pariser

The South Bronx has undergone an exciting transformation over the course of many years. In this episode of Redevelopment Trailblazers, we get a first-hand account from Neil Pariser, the former SVP of the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (SoBRO). Through decades of work in this community, Neil led efforts to create affordable housing and redevelop huge swaths of retail, industrial, and commercial space, improving the attractiveness and economic viability of the South Bronx. A deeper dive into this story is also available in this Redevelopment Institute webinar.