Author: Mendes, Randi

Summer MAP Participants

We are excited to announce the UConn TAB Summer 23 Municipal Assistance Program (MAP) recipients!

This Summer semester, our student interns will be working with communities across New England on brownfield technical projects. The municipalities will be receiving free-of-charge technical assistance to advance brownfields redevelopment in their communities. The list of projects includes the 6 site reuse assessments, 8 brownfield inventories, 2 community engagement projects, 2 record reviews, and 1 data gap analysis.

The following communities are selected to participate in the Summer 2023 MAP:

THE PERFECT PITCH COMPETITION

THE PERFECT PITCH COMPETITION
Hit the High Notes to Revitalize That Brownfield Site 

Join the ranks of successful past participants and take your chance to shine with the Perfect Pitch Competition.  Hit the high notes of success with the Perfect Pitch Competition (Previously the Redevelopment Rodeo)! This interactive forum is your chance to pitch your vision for the reuse and revitalization of underutilized land.  EPA Technical Assistance to Brownfield (TAB) providers are issuing this national call for applications for prioritized brownfields projects facing common redevelopment challenges. Three selected entities will take the stage at the National Brownfields Conference in Detroit on August 10th and pitch their project, followed by feedback and input from seasoned developers and expert practitioners. 

This isn’t your average competition – it’s an experience that will inspire you and your team to map your next steps for that underutilized property.  Audience participation is encouraged, and everyone gets to vote on the best presentation and most likely to succeed. The Perfect Pitch Competition seeks to spur economic revitalization and bring your community’s vision to life with a soulful twist. You can even replicate this experience in your community by adapting the tools and presentations to conduct stakeholder forums. So let’s hit those high notes and transform underutilized (or brownfield site) land into thriving community spaces. Start by completing this short survey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8M96TQD.

The selected entities presenting their brownfield site vision will receive:

  • More than $20,000 in pro bono expert consulting assistance supported by the National Technical Assistance Brownfields Program. Sample services include market analysis, reuse planning, and/or pro forma support. 
  • Feedback to refine your pitch and end use plan to attract a developer/investor. 

Ready to make some music? 

Step 1: Decide to apply!
Step 2: Fill out the below preliminary questionnaire by June 2, 2023https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8M96TQD

Three selected applicants will be notified the week of June 15, 2023.  Selected applicants will work with their regional TAB providers to provide detailed information about the project  and prepare their pitch.

The Competition will be held at the National Brownfields Conference in Detroit, Michigan scheduled for August 8 – 11, 2023.   Selected applicants must commit to attend and participate in the Conference  at the time of selection. The Perfect Pitch Competition is scheduled Thursday, August 10th. All applicants will receive assistance from their regional TAB provider on their submitted brownfields project. 

Got questions? Reach out to your TAB provider for more information.

Don’t have a project? Put this on your list of must-attend sessions at the National Brownfields Conference and prepare to pitch next time.  The audience won’t just be sitting in the stands! In addition to listening in on incredibly valuable expert advice, all audience stakeholders are welcome to ask questions and vote on the best pitch presentation, which is most likely to succeed, and which project you would invest in.  

Quotes in Support of the Perfect Pitch Competition: 

“This session provided us an invaluable experience by presenting the agency’s Brownfields’ project in front of a new set of eyes.  The feedback and assistance received from seasoned developers and expert practitioners contributed to our team’s ability on how to move forward in renovating the site and develop the project further.” Jessie Thompson, Executive Director with the Oklahoma City Community Action Agency

John J. Piseck, Jr., CEO with Herkimer County, New York Industrial Development Agency, was initially unsure about what to expect when he applied to pitch.  However, after being selected and presenting, he let us know he learned a great deal about how to make his brownfield site more attractive to developers.  His advice: “If you are selected to be in the Perfect Pitch Competition, take full advantage of it!”. 

Main Street Now 2023 Event

The Main Street Now 2023 conference will be held in Boston, Massachusetts from March 27 – 29! Register today and join fellow commercial district revitalization leaders from across the country for three days of education sessions, special events, mobile workshops, and opportunities to explore the host city, including 20 Main Street neighborhoods. Whether you come from an urban business district, small rural downtown, or somewhere in between, the Main Street Now Conference offers solutions to common problems and new techniques to help your community thrive.

Register Here

UConn TAB Spring23 Webinar Series

Join UConn TAB for our Spring Webinar series. Links to register for the webinars as well as more information will be updated continuously.

Register for the webinars:
February 22nd – Communicating Risk in Brownfields Webinar: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/uconn-tab-webinar-risk-communication-tickets-522992613987

March 1st – Leveraging EJ Funds Webinar: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leveraging-ej-funding-to-promote-equitable-development-tickets-557057312417

March 22nd – Citizen’s Lab Platform Webinar:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/uconn-tab-webinar-citizen-lab-community-engagement-platform-tickets-522999203697 

April 26th – Opportunities for Public-Private Partnership in Brownfield Redevelopment: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/working-with-and-finding-developers-for-brownfield-redevelopment-tickets-590317434337

If you missed one of our webinars, you can view the recording here: https://tab.program.uconn.edu/workshops-webinars/

UConn TAB Spring 2023 Municipal Assistance Program

UConn TAB is currently accepting applications for the Spring 2023 Municipal Assistance Program (MAP). The MAP is open to all New England communities at no cost to the applicant. 

Spring RFP

    The proposals will be supported through the University of Connecticut Spring 2023 UConn Brownfield Redevelopment course.  If you have any questions before applying, please reach out to us at uconn-tab@uconn.edu

    EPA Grant Proposal Review

    The UConn TAB team will provide reviews for the upcoming EPA assessment, cleanup, multipurpose, and revolving loan fund grant cycle. We provide reviews of the narrative and application package, offering two rounds of review upon time availability.

    Deadlines for submission will be announced upon EPA grant solicitation release.

    1st round of review(Deadline: Oct. 25th)It consists of comments on how the narrative addresses EPA’s guidelines, suggestions on how to address these comments, and resources to identify data. Reviews will be provided in a written format, as an annotated document of your submitted text. You may also schedule a follow-up call with the team member to walk you through the comments.

    2nd round or review(Deadline: Nov. 8th): After the feedback of the 1st round of review is addressed, the 2nd round will provide additional feedback to fine-tune the narrative and provide feedback on the complete application package.


    [Read More & Submit]

    EPA Region 1 MARC Grant Webinars

    The FY23 Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, RLF, and Cleanup Grant Guidelines are now available in www.grants.gov and on the OBLR MARC Grant Application Resources webpage along with other General Program Resources. The application submission deadline is November 22, 2022. Prospective applicants can also access the information through the Brownfields Newsroom and Solicitations for Brownfield Grants pages.

    Two Regional Application Outreach sessions are planned for this year. Specific times for the regional meetings will be announced soon.

    • Wednesday October 5, 2022 in person meeting at the Regional Lab in Chelmsford, MA
      • 11 Technology Drive, North Chelmsford, MA
      • 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST
      • In order to enter the Chelmsford Lab, you must preregister and let us know your name and anyone else in your group. Please email R1Brownfields@epa.gov with this information.
    • Thursday October 6, 2022 virtual Teams meeting
      • 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST via Teams link (Link to join will be sent out later through R1Brownfields@epa.gov).
      • Multiple presentations will be taking place throughout the day. A more specific schedule will be confirmed soon.

    EPA National MARC Grant Webinars

    The FY23 Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, RLF, and Cleanup Grant Guidelines are now available in www.grants.gov and on the OBLR MARC Grant Application Resources webpage along with other General Program Resources. The application submission deadline is November 22, 2022. Prospective applicants can also access the information through the Brownfields Newsroom and Solicitations for Brownfield Grants pages.

    Webinar 1: FY23 EPA MARC Grant Open Solicitation

    Date: September 29th
    Time: 2 PM EST

    This webinar will discuss the FY 2023 guidelines for entities applying for:

    • Multipurpose Grant funding
    • Community-wide Assessment Grant funding
    • Assessment Coalition Grant funding
    • Community-wide Assessment Grants for States and Tribes funding

    Link to join: https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1601605033#success

     

    Webinar 2: FY23 Cleanup Grant Guidance

    Date: October 4th
    Time:
    2 PM EST

    Link to join: https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1615031487#success

     

    Webinar 3: FY23 RLF Grant Guidance

    Date: October 6th
    Time:
    2 PM EST

    Link to join: https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1607942977#success