The Together North Jersey Competitiveness Task Force is sponsoring its second workshop exploring strategies for repurposing vacant and underutilized properties on June 14. This workshop will concentrate on finding new uses for smaller sites, such as strip retail centers, brownfields, old industrial buildings and commercial buildings. The first workshop in this series, held January 17, focused on repurposing larger sites, such as old railyards, larger brownfields and suburban office complexes. Repurposing underutilized sites is a strategy for supporting economic growth in many of North Jersey’s communities, particularly those that have struggled to adapt to New Jersey’s post-industrial economy. These sites are often vacant or poorly maintained and can impede efforts to improve and redevelop a community. This workshop will consider strategies for reusing these once-productive properties that have characteristics preventing their easy reuse in a changing economy. These sites include, older and smaller buildings in former industrial centers; brownfield sites awaiting remediation with substantial opportunities for redevelopment; and strip retail centers that no longer meet the current needs of retailers and consumers.
The speakers at the workshop have years of experience developing and redeveloping properties throughout North Jersey and finding solutions for their productive repurposing.
WORKSHOP OUTLINE
- 8:30 to 9:00 – Registration
- 9:00 – to 9:10 – Welcome – Zenobia Fields, NJTPA
- 9:10 to 9:30 – Summary of Repurposing Workshop #1 – Lois Goldman
- 9:30 to 10:30
- Historic Properties – Richard Dunn, VP, Paramount Assets
- Industrial Properties – Jeff Milanaik, Bridge Development
- Strip Shopping Center – Matthew Harding, Levin Management
- Brownfield Properties – Colette Santasieri, NJIT
- 10:30 to 10:45 – Break
- 11:00 to 12:00 – Moderated panel discussion and Q&A with audience – Moderator: Michael McGuiness, Competitive Task Force Co-chair