GOPC is excited to host the 2023 Ohio Brownfields Conference on May 9th, 2023 in Columbus. The conference will feature an exhibitor hall for attendees to connect and network with remediation and redevelopment professionals, and will include eight panel sessions focused on brownfield redevelopment and future funding opportunities and trends.

Two optional “tracks” are offered at the Conference, which include: "Brownfields 101" for those new to the field, looking to learn more about brownfields and the assessment and remediation process & "Brownfields 201" for those with brownfields experience seeking panels with a slightly more technical focus. Panel topics for the day include:

Optional “Brownfields 101” Track

• The Basics of Brownfields: Identifying Brownfields and the Remediation Process

• The Voluntary Action Program (VAP): An Overview by the Ohio EPA and its Purpose in Brownfields Remediation and Redevelopment

• Brownfields as a Catalyst for Revitalization

• Creative Financing to Maximize Brownfields Projects

Optional “Brownfields 201” Track

• Risk Mitigation in Brownfields Redevelopment

• Understanding Post-Cleanup Restrictions and Obligations

• Ask An Expert - a panel dedicated to Q&A for technical and project-specific questions

• Future Trends of Commercial and Industrial Development

Attendees are not obligated to follow a specific track, and are encouraged to attend panel sessions of interest to them.

The lunchtime Keynote will be Tom Murphy, former mayor of Pittsburgh and current senior resident fellow and Canizaro/Klingbeil Families Chair for Urban Development at Urban Land Institute (ULI). During his time as mayor, Murphy initiated a public/private partnership strategy that leveraged more than $4.5 billion in economic development activity for the city. Murphy also developed strategic partnerships to transform more than 1,000 acres of blighted, abandoned industrial properties into new commercial, residential, retail, and public uses.

Registration is open through mid-April. Accreditation is in process for Continuing Learning Education (CLE) credits through the Ohio Supreme Court and AICP credits through the American Planning Association.

For more information on the conference, please visit OhioBrownfields.com. If your organization is interested in sponsoring the conference, which includes recognition throughout the day and an exhibitor table, please contact Aaron Clapper (aclapper@greaterohio.org or 740-221-9584). Full sponsorship pricing and details is available here.

Cover image by Petr Vilgus via Wikicommons