News from New York State Department of State

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Department of State Announces Brownfields Smart Growth

'Spotlight Communities' Initiative

ALBANY, NY (11/17/2008)(readMedia)-- Governor David A. Paterson and Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez announced today the Brownfields Smart Growth Spotlight Communities Initiative. This initiative links communities participating in the state's Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) Program with the Governor's Smart Growth Cabinet. This state-local partnership will demonstrate how existing state programs can support and complement local efforts to redevelop brownfields and simultaneously achieve neighborhood revitalization and smart growth objectives.

The Brownfields Smart Growth Spotlight Communities Initiative will start by addressing the needs and revitalization objectives of areas affected by brownfields in the South Bronx; Wyandanch, in the Town of Babylon, on Long Island; and South Buffalo. This initiative will serve to establish effective practices and techniques that will be transferable to and benefit other communities participating in the BOA Program. This will be achieved through a series of forums involving the spotlight communities and representatives from the Smart Growth Cabinet.

Governor David Paterson said: "Even in these economically trying times, we must remain aware of the need for us to invest in New York's future. The Brownfields Smart Growth Spotlight Communities Initiative helps us to achieve that goal by building on our commitment to the smart growth principles of sensible, balanced development in town and city centers in need of revitalization. The partnership between BOA community participants and my Smart Growth Cabinet will ensure that the improvements we make create jobs and generate growth as we protect our environment."

New York Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez said: "The smart growth philosophy is a fundamental tenet of the Department of State and it is highlighted in our Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program which provides critically needed resources to transform thousands of brownfield sites and dormant acres back to productive use generating jobs and revenues. It fosters redevelopment of our cities and community centers by establishing the necessary strategies for investment in these areas. Supporting the Governor's smart growth approach through the Brownfields Smart Growth Spotlight Communities Initiative will improve coordination with other state agencies so as to support timeliness implementation of BOA projects in these communities."

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis said: "The BOA Program offers real hope to neglected communities by providing tools for planning and rebuilding. It makes perfect sense to incorporate smart growth principles into the BOA visioning process. These spotlight communities will serve as models for the revitalization of our struggling cities."

The state's Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) Program empowers municipalities and community organizations to prepare area-wide revitalization plans including research and analysis, market studies, environmental investigations, site specific redevelopment plans and design, renderings and marketing materials, necessary local law changes and other actions to enable brownfield redevelopment and community revitalization. The program is being used by close to 100 local communities across New York State to establish reuse plans that have the potential to convert thousands of brownfield sites into productive, job creating and tax revenue generating properties. The program is administered by the Departments of State and Environmental Conservation. The Governor recently provided a boost to the BOA Program by securing a two-percent additional tax credit for redevelopment consistent with completed BOA plans.

The BOA Program and the Smart Growth Cabinet share the common goal of directing development into municipal cores and centers, downtowns and "Main Streets," hamlets, historic districts and older first-tier suburbs. By doing so, both seek to create vibrant centers and reduce the pressure to develop on suburban greenfields. BOA and Smart Growth also promote equity and environmental justice in land use and development of underserved communities. Linking the work of the Smart Growth Cabinet with the BOA Program further advances the Governor's Smart Growth Executive Order which states: "the cornerstone of a 'smart' long-term economic development strategy is sustainable development that capitalizes on existing infrastructure in urban centers and other developed areas such as brownfields."

Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion said: "In these fiscal times, it is important to foster programs that reinforce economic sustainability as well as environmental equity. New York's economy and environment are directly related. The Bronx will benefit from Governor Paterson and Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez's creative thinking which caters to New York's unique regional needs by implementing the smart growth policies through the Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program and cross-agency participation. Such groundwork will create a dynamic environment for economic opportunity that will benefit all of New York. Every resident of our great Empire State deserves to live in a vibrant, livable community."

City of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said: "We are extremely proud of the work being done on the South Buffalo BOA project. Along with the Buffalo Greenbelt, the South Buffalo BOA will transform our brownfields into sustainable industry and development. I want to thank Governor Paterson and the Secretary of State for recognizing the important need of revitalizing our brownfields to improve the city's economy."

Babylon Supervisor Steve Bellone said: "The current financial crisis is having dramatic effects on states and local municipalities- limiting our ability to effectively pursue investment in communities that are already struggling. The Brownfield's Smart Growth Spotlight Communities Initiative will ultimately translate to jobs, economic investment, and spur public private partnerships. I applaud Governor David A. Paterson and Secretary of State Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez for their forward thinking response and their recognition of the importance of an effective and holistic brownfield program."

Co-Director of New Partners for Community Revitalization, a state-wide community-based organization, Jody Kass said: "We agree with Governor David Paterson and Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez that, despite today's fiscal challenges, it is important to continue to lay the groundwork for economic growth by investing in New York's communities. BOA Program funds are fueling pre-development activities to make brownfield sites attractive for investment."

Co-Director of New Partners for Community Revitalization Mathy Stanislaus said: "Linking the BOA Program with the work of the Governor's Smart Growth Cabinet will assist local efforts to achieve redevelopment and for neighborhoods to grow smart."

Alexie Torres-Fleming, Founder & Executive Director of Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice (YMPJ) said: "Area wide planning that is at the heart of the BOA program is critical to address environmental justice and smart growth in land use and development in underserved communities such as the one served by YMPJ. We are very excited with this partnership with the Departent of State to develop collaborative solutions and target resources to rebuild our communities in a sustainable way."

Executive Director of Sustainable Long Island Sarah Lansdale said: "We applaud the leadership and initiative by Governor Paterson and Secretary of State Cortés-Vázquez to establish the Spotlight Communities Initiative that recognizes the vital linkages between smart growth and brownfields redevelopment. The Wyandanch Rising process is an example of how local government can effectively empower communities that have been intentionally marginalized in the past. The BOA Program is helping to leverage resources of various state programs to create jobs, expand the local tax base, rejuvenate downtowns, provide housing and create a cleaner environment."

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