Green Buildings on
Brownfields Initiative:
Pilot Projects
Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment (5105T)
Quick Reference Fact Sheet
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Brownfields Program is designed to empower states,
tribes, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely
manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is real
property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or
potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.
The Green Buildings on Brownfields Initiative is an EPA effort designed to promote the use of green
building techniques at brownfield properties in conjunction with assessment and cleanup. Through several
pilot projects, EPA is providing communities with technical assistance to facilitate the development of
green buildings on their brownfields. Building environmentally-friendly buildings on what was once
contaminated (or perceived to be contaminated) land can be symbolic of a new, environmentally-
sound direction for communities, as well as tangible growth for their economies.
EPA has selected eight communities for Green Buildings
on Brownfields pilot projects. Through the Green
Buildings on Brownfields Initiative, EPA works with
communities, on a pilot basis, to incorporate
environmental considerations into the planning, design
and implementation of their brownfields redevelopment
projects. Assistance may be in the form of technical,
financial, planning, outreach, design expertise, and/or
other needed expertise as identified by the community.
Generally, each pilot project will receive expert-
consultant services valued up to $15,000.
The eight Green Buildings on Brownfields pilot projects
are:
• Community Center Building, Springfield,
Massachusetts (EPA Region 1). With assistance
from EPA and local government, the New North
Citizen's Council (NNCC), anon-profit social service
organization, plans to build anew, two-story, 25,000-
square-foot building to replace its cramped and
deteriorated offices. The project site is located on 1.2
acres, which includes the current offices and several
City-owned brownfield parcels and vacant lots. The
pilot project aims to meet the criteria, and gain the
certification, of the the U.S. Green Building
Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) rating system and the Energy Star
for Buildings program. The NNCC, which is
developing the property in partnership with the City
of Springfield, operates in two predominantly
Hispanic neighborhoods with low per capita income
and some of the highest asthma rates in the state.
The National Aquarium in Baltimore's Center for
Aquatic Life and Conservation, Baltimore,
Maryland (EPA Region 3). To meet the needs of a
rapidly growing collection of current and future
exhibits, as well as expanding programs in research,
husbandry, and conservation, the National Aquarium
in Baltimore is building a new aquatic animal care
center. A seven-acre brownfield located near major
highways and bus routes in Baltimore City is the
planned location for the new facility. The Aquarium
will seek at least the Silver or Gold level of the U.S.
Green Building Council's LEED rating system. A
multi-use conservation education center, public
access to trails, and boardwalks bordering wetlands
are also proposed.
ReGenesis Medical Center, Spartanburg, South
Carolina (EPA Region 4). ReGenesis, Inc., a
community non-profit corporation is purchasing a 33 -
acre brownfield for redevelopment as a health and
wellness park. The property will include a
community medical center providing integrated
healthcare. Using green building technologies, the
Center will be designed to protect indoor air quality,
reduce operation and maintenance costs, and protect
the watershed of a nearby creek.
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About the ENERGY STAR Label for
Buildings
ENERGY STAR is a symbol of energy
efficiency. The US Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the US Department of
Energy (DOE) have established ENERGY
STAR criteria for commercial and K-12 school
buildings. The basis of the criteria is
benchmarking building energy consumption on
a 1 to 100 scale. Buildings that are among the
top 25 percent nationwide in terms of energy
performance (earning a benchmarking score of
75 or greater) and maintain an indoor
environment that conforms to industry standards
can qualify to receive the ENERGY STAR label
for buildings.
Marina District Redevelopment, Toledo, Ohio
(EPA Region 5). The Toledo-Lucas County Port
Authority is in the process of redeveloping the 120-
acre Marina District brownfield on the east bank of
the Maumee River, directly across from downtown
Toledo. The redeveloped area will include
residential, commercial, recreational, and
entertainment facilities. The Port Authority intends
to use expert services provided through the pilot
project to identify opportunities to employ green
building technologies such as energy conservation
measures, natural landscaping, natural stormwater
management, and pedestrian-friendly site design.
World Headquarters for Heifer International,
Little Rock, Arkansas (EPA Region 6). Heifer
International, a non-profit organization devoted to
ending world hunger, is developing its new world
headquarters and an education center on a 28-acre
brownfield in a former industrial area in eastern
downtown Little Rock. Heifer will seek a LEED
Gold rating for the 100,000-square-foot building.
Sustainable, environmentally sound features of the
building will be highlighted in public education
programs to illustrate environmentally responsible
building practices. Programs will also demonstrate
alternative energy, land and water conservation
techniques, and efficient uses of natural resources.
Trailnet Inc., Trailhead Building, St. Louis,
Missouri (EPA Region 7). Trailnet, Inc., a non-
profit organization whose mission is to develop a
system of greenways and trails in the greater St. Louis
metropolitan area, is converting a former power plant
building, located at the primary trailhead for the
Confluence Greenway and Mississippi Riverfront
trails, into an environmentally-friendly building to
serve as office space for Trailnet. The building will
also serve as a place for people to meet, eat, get
directions and information on the Greenway and learn
about the planet's third-largest watershed. Trailnet,
working with local stakeholders and partners, aims to
achieve a LEED Gold rating for the building.
Community Culture and Commercial Center,
Kauai, Hawaii (EPA Region 9). This pilot project
is located on the island of Kauai in Anahola on a
property that has frequently been used for the illegal
disposal of items such as automobiles, tires,
appliances, batteries, and other household items.
Reuse plans for the state-owned property include a
senior care living center, an elderly independent
living facility, a charter school, retail, office space,
and other support facilities. The state plans to design
the buildings and landscape to be energy and
resource-efficient, using local building materials
wherever possible, and to attain LEED certification.
Some of the sustainable design measures being
considered include alternative energy generation,
natural ventilation and day-lighting, water catchment,
irrigation with greywater, use of recycled building
materials, and the use of non-toxic finishes and
materials.
Volcanic Legacy Discovery Center, Mt. Shasta,
California (EPA Region 9). The redevelopment
plan for this 127-acre former lumber mill property
includes ten acres for the Volcanic Legacy Center.
The Center will be the centerpiece of a scenic byway
stretching from Crater Lake in Oregon to Lassen Peak
in California, and is expected to receive thousands of
visitors each year. The Center will include a 20,000-
About LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council, a coalition of
approximately 2000 diverse organizations,
developed the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) program. LEED
recognizes achievements and promotes expertise in
green building through a comprehensive system
offering project certification, professional
accreditation, training, and practical resources.
LEED ratings, ranging from Platinum to Certified,
reflect environmental factors including energy
efficiency, water conservation and use of recycled
and otherwise "green" materials in building.
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square-foot building with a 200-plus seat auditorium, For specific information regarding EPA's Green
exhibit spaces with interactive and educational Buildings on Brownfields Initiative, contact Alison Evans
displays (including a section to demonstrate green at (202) 566-2744 or evans.alison@epa.gov. For more
building materials), a gift shop, other auxiliary information on EPA's Brownfields Program, please visit
spaces, and parking. In addition, sustainable http://www.cpa.go\7brownficlds. For more information
landscape on EPA's Green Building programs, visit
design features may be incorporated into the reuse http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding
plan with a chaparral restoration area, vegetative
filter area, wildlife pond, and stormwater retention
basin.
EPA-500-F-02-141
United States Solid Waste October 2002
Environmental and Emergency www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Protection Agency Response (5101T)
Washington, D.C. 20460
FOR MORE INFORMATION
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