BROWNFIELDS ARE HISTORIC!...TWO UPCOMING CONFERENCES SHOWCASE THE CONNECTION
Mar 09, 2011
Preservationists know that abandoned or decaying industrial complexes are some of the most significant historic places in our communities. However, they can also be one of the toughest “sells” for preservation and adaptive re-use based upon fears of hazardous wastes, clean-up costs, and liability. Two upcoming conferences feature historic preservation as one tool for returning brownfields to productive use. At the regional level, Spokane will be the venue for the Brownfields & Land Revitalization 2011 Conference on May 12-13. Conference planners and Spokane preservationists are incorporating sessions and a mobile workshop on historic preservation and brownfields. The Friday tour will include a visit to the award-winning Steamplant Square multi-use project in downtown as well as other projects in the city. For more information and registration material, visit http://conferences.wsu.edu/conferences/brownfields/. Unfortunately, this conference date overlaps with the Washington Trust and Main Street conference in Walla Walla. A second opportunity is the national Brownfields 2011 conference planned for April 3-5 in Philadelphia. With the theme “Sustainable Communities Start Here” this huge annual conference also features sessions and tours that showcase historic preservation’s role in recycling historic properties. Conference registration is free and can be made on-line at www.brownfields2011.org. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a sponsoring partner in the conference.
