The Association of Defense Communities is bringing its Base Redevelopment Forum back to its roots. First held in Portland, Maine in 2013, this Forum has become the nation’s leading conference addressing the issues, challenges and opportunities associated with the reuse and redevelopment of former and realigned military installations. Our focus is beyond BRAC; it is about advancing economic revitalization through community-driven redevelopment.
12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Eastland Grand Ballroom, Main Level
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Marsden Hartley Room, Mezzanine Level
Invite only.
2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Deal Makers/Deal Breakers: The Developers’ Perspective
Eastland Grand Ballroom, Main Level
Is the real estate adage of location, location, location the most important factor when it comes to redevelopment of BRAC sites? Other factors and influences such as market cycles, deed restrictions, environmental issues and permitting requirements, and timelines more often dictate the development community’s interests. This engaging session will explore what makes or breaks a deal from the developer’s perspective.
Introduction:
Steve Levesque, ADC Board Member, Executive Director, Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority
Moderator:
Jeffrey Donohoe, Principal, Jeffrey Donohoe Associates, LLC
Speakers:
Jim Howard, President, Priority Group
Dan Plummer, President, Two International Group
Renee Plummer, Vice President, Two International Group
Curt Toll, Attorney, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Affordable/Workforce Housing Roundtable
Eastland Grand Ballroom, Main Level
Affordable and workforce housing has become a critical issue for many communities directly impacting a region’s ability to attract, recruit and maintain a viable workforce. The issue is complex as it stems from both an inadequate housing supply and limited growth in the incomes of moderate- and middle-income households, adding up to an acute lack of affordable housing for many people. This roundtable will explore the issues and challenges associated with development of affordable and workforce housing and identify how some communities are addressing this critical problem.
Moderator:
Brian Hooker, Executive Director, Fort Mac LRA
Speakers:
Kevin Bunker, Principal, Developers Collaborative
Chris Rhoads, President, Brunswick Landing Ventures
Randall Clarke, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development, District of Columbia
4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Eastland Grand Ballroom, Main Level
Introduction:
Mike Cooper, ADC Past President and Chairman, Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission
Speaker:
Steve Levesque, ADC Board Member, Executive Director, Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority
5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Eastland Grand Ballroom Foyer, Main Level
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Lower Level Foyer
7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
Lower Level Foyer
7:15 a.m. – 7:45 a.m.
Sara Orne Jewett Room, Mezzanine Level
8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Air Force Perspective on BRAC Sites Impacted by PFOA/PFOS – Former Pease AFB Case Study
Longfellow Room, Lower Level
PFOS and PFOA are components of aqueous film forming foam the Air Force began using in the 1970s as a firefighting agent to extinguish petroleum fires. In 2016 the Environmental Protection Agency established health advisory levels in drinking water of 70 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS. Since 2014 the Air Force has conducted extensive investigative work and mitigation actions, guided by CERCLA, applicable state laws and EPA’s health advisory levels. This session will feature a discussion of key Air Force representatives about the impact of PFOA/PFOS contamination at BRAC sites. The session will highlight the Air Force’s response to drinking water contamination at the former Pease AFB, N.H., where more than $43 million is being spent to address the issue. The Air Force’s actions, including a close collaboration with the community, have helped it make great strides to ensure safe drinking water. Hurdles remain, however, and questions linger about the long-term impacts on public health and the environment. Speakers also will provide lessons learned for other communities facing this problem.
Introduction:
Mike Cooper, ADC Past President and Chairman, Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission
Moderator/Speaker:
Stephen TerMaath, Chief, BRAC Program Management Division, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Installations Directorate
Speakers:
Linda Geissinger, Public Affairs Specialist, BRAC Program Execution
Brian Goetz, Deputy Director, Public Works, City of Portsmouth, N.H.
Roger Walton, BRAC Environmental Coordinator for Pease
Financial Tools in the Tool Box
Rines A, Main Level
Can you stack tax credits? How do you leverage local match funds? What are the limits of new market tax credits? Is TIFF only for new development? How do conventional financing mechanisms interact with opportunity zone funds? These and other questions will be addressed in this primer on financial tools that can be used to support redevelopment of BRAC sites.
Moderator:
Michael Houlemard, Executive Officer, Fort Ord Reuse Authority
Speakers:
Christopher Moriarty, Managing Director Public Finance Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc.
Craig Seymour, Managing Principal, RKG
9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Networking Break
9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Navy Perspective on BRAC Sites Impacted by PFOA/PFOS – Former NAS Brunswick Case Study
Longfellow Room, Lower Level
Hear from the Navy Program Management Office on how they have dealt with PFOA/PFOS contamination at BRAC sites and the challenges associated with addressing these issues without established EPA standards. Speakers will highlight sites where the Navy has worked with LRAs to develop workable solutions and explore what is needed for all stakeholders to come to agreement. The session will feature a case study of the PFOA/PFOS issues at former Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine, including impacts to redevelopment, the process employed to address these issues and the solution that is now being implemented.
Introduction:
Mike Cooper, ADC Past President and Chairman, Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission
Moderator:
Steve Levesque, Executive Director, Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority
Speakers:
Greg Preston, Director, BRAC PMO East, NAVFAC
Maine Department of Environmental Protection (invited)
Consultant to Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (invited)
Mega Parks, Logistics Centers, Technology Campuses – Innovative Reuse and Marketing of Industrial BRAC Sites
Rines A, Main Level
Rural and industrial bases, including former depots, supply centers and ammunition plants, have a unique set of challenges that must be addressed for successful reuse. This session will highlight the difficulties, approaches and successes associated with the redevelopment of rural and industrial installations. Panelists will address innovative and adaptive reuse of facilities, the use of natural resources as a facility amenity and marketing asset, infrastructure upgrades and essential requirements to support anchor tenants, and approaches to attract corporations to rural locations.
Moderator:
Dan Schnepf, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Matrix Design Group
Speakers:
Russell DeSalvo, President and CEO, PuebloPlex
Scott Norton, Executive Director/CEO, TexAmericas Center
Mike Monteleone, Senior Vice President, Oasis Consulting Services (former Fort Gillem)
11:00 a.m.
Buses will load at the Main Entrance of the Westin Portland Harborview Hotel: 157 High Street, Portland, ME 04101
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Buses will offload at TechPlace, 74 Orion St, Brunswick, ME 04011
12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Flight Deck Brewing, 11 Atlantic Ave., Brunswick, ME 04011
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Foreign Direct Investment Marketing
First-quarter 2018 foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States was estimated at $58 billion, with full-year 2017 FDI reaching $292 billion. FDI, sometimes called cross border investment, is an investment in the form of a controlling ownership in a business made by an entity based in another country. This unique session will provide an overview and examples of FDI and discuss how to attract this type of investment.
Moderator:
Kristine Logan, Business Development Manager, Midcoast Regional Redevelopment
Speaker:
Janine Bisaillon-Cary, President, Montserrat Group
Don Cynewski, Director, Ducktrap River of Maine
Jim Detert, Business Development Director, Molnlycke Health Care (Invited)
Bright Ideas for BRAC Sites- Energy Options to Support Redevelopment
This session will explore the requirements, regulatory hurdles and potential benefits associated with developing energy islanding and renewable energy projects at BRAC sites. Industry experts will explain the basics of energy islanding and identify elements needed to ensure renewable energy projects are successful. The panel will highlight the energy program at Brunswick Landing, which will lead to an engaging Q&A session.
Moderator:
Celeste Warner, Vice President, Matrix Design Group/ADC Board Member
Speakers:
Steve Levesque, Executive Director, Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority
Timothy Banach, Vice President, Development, GI Energy US
State Energy Regulator from PUC (invited)
2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Brewery on Base: A New Perspective on Adaptive and Successful Reuse
Is the latest trend for successful military base reuse locating a microbrewery on your site? Can the presence of renewable energy sources and microgrids affect a company’s location choices? What are the design amenities that need to be incorporated to attract millennial companies? All of these questions and more will be addressed in an interactive session discussing adaptive reuse concepts and design considerations.
Moderator:
Representative from MRRA
Speakers:
Dr. Lucille Benedict, Associate Professor, University of Southern Maine (invited)
Nate Wildes, Owner of Flight Deck Brewing at Brunswick Landing
Greg Mitchell, Director of Economic Development, City of Portland, Maine.
On the MAP! Military Airport Program Benefits
The Military Airport Program (MAP) is a grant set-aside from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program allowing the agency to award grants to the civilian sponsor of a military airfield for the development of aviation facilities for the public. The program also assists new sponsors in converting former military airfields to public use to add system capacity and reduce congestion at existing airports experiencing significant delays. The session will provide a detailed and interactive discussion on the benefits and requirements associated with participating in MAP.
Moderator:
Marty McMann, MRRA Airport Manager
Speakers:
Luke Garrison, Project Manager, FAA New England Region
Stacie Haskell, Aviation Planning and Programming Manager at Maine Department of Transportation (DOT)
Suzanne Sheppard, P.E., Project Manager, Hoyle, Tanner & Associates
3:45 p.m.
Flight Deck Brewing, 11 Atlantic Ave., Brunswick, ME 04011
Click for an interactive version of the map below.
Legend:
A: Flight Deck Brewing at 11 Atlantic Ave, Brunswick, ME 04011
B: Classroom at TechPlace: 74 Orion Street, Brunswick, ME 04011
C: Community Room at 8 Venture Avenue, Brunswick, ME 04011
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Flight Deck Brewing, 11 Atlantic Ave., Brunswick, ME 04011
4:45 p.m.
Bus will depart from Flight Deck Brewing, 11 Atlantic Ave., Brunswick, ME 04011
5:15 p.m.
Bus will depart from Flight Deck Brewing, 11 Atlantic Ave., Brunswick, ME 04011
7:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Lower Level Foyer
7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
Lower Level Foyer
7:00 a.m. -8:00 a.m.
Sara Orne Jewett Room
Invite Only Meeting.
8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Community Roundtable on PFOA/PFOS
Longfellow, Lower Level
This roundtable discussion will provide an opportunity for affected LRAs to come together and discuss the issues and challenges associated with PFOA/PFOS contamination. Speakers will explore the unintended consequences of historical use of PFOA/PFOS with respect to redevelopment and land transfer, and will discuss options that LRAs can consider to move forward despite the lack of a regulatory cleanup standard for the contaminants.
Introduction:
Mike Cooper, ADC Past President and Chairman, Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission
Moderator:
Kristie Reimer, Executive Director ADC LRA Directors Council
Speakers:
Barry Steinberg, Partner, Kutak Rock
Sam Sankar, Executive Director, ECOS
Financing Infrastructure
Rines A, Main Level
Redevelopment authorities play a key role in funding, operating and maintaining infrastructure at former military facilities. The infrastructure typically is antiquated and in need of maintenance or modernization. Financing the needed expansions, upgrades and repairs often is a redevelopment authority’s most difficult challenge. To bridge the financing gaps, redevelopment authorities have turned to creative ways of financing public infrastructure investments. This session will explore the range of infrastructure financing mechanisms currently in use, recent innovations, and provide examples of the newest options. The session will encourage the audience to share their innovations and discuss the challenges they encountered implementing these alternatives.
Moderator:
Jeff Jordan, Deputy Director, Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority
Speaker:
Jeffrey Jordan, Deputy Director, Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority
Linda Cruz Carnell, Regional Director of the Economic Development Administration (Philadelphia Office)
Deborah Johnson, Maine Department of Economic and Community Development
William Armitage, Executive Director, Biddeford-Saco Economic Development Corporation (invited)
9:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Opportunity Zones: Next Steps after QOZ Designation
Longfellow, Lower Level
The final designations for Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) status were announced in June. Now we are seeing OZ funds being established which could lead to the creation of billions of new investment dollars for underserved communities across the United States. What opportunities are created by becoming a QOZ and what do LRAs need to know? This engaging panel will provide an update to the program and discuss how to attract investors.
Moderator:
Scott Norton, Executive Director/CEO, TexAmericas Center
Speaker:
Kevin Peterson, Director of Economic Development, Community Development Finance Authority, State of New Hampshire
Joan Fortin, Esq., Berstein Shur Sawyer and Nelson, Portland, Maine
Workforce Development
Rines A, Main Level
One of the most pressing challenges triggered by the growth of the global economy is the national and global shortage of skilled workers. With redevelopment success tied to attracting successful, growing companies, the need to have a talented and available workforce is critical. The state of Maine has developed a variety of initiatives to address workforce challenges, including Maine Quality Centers, CDBD grants for workforce development, and apprenticeship and regional programs. This session will explore several workforce programs and discuss how they are being implemented to attract companies that can be cornerstones of successful redevelopment.
Moderator:
Kristine Logan, Business Development Manager, Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority
Speakers:
Jim Whitten, Special Projects Manager, Southern Maine Community College
Antoinette Mancusi, Director, Coastal Counties Workforce Inc. (Invited)
Nancy Weed, Superintendent/Director, Region 10 Technical High School
12:00 p.m.
The Westin Portland Harborview, previously known as The Eastland Park Hotel, opened it’s doors in 1927 as the largest hotel in New England. From famous dignitaries to rock ‘n roll celebrities, the Westin has played host to many fascinating people and events, including this year’s Base Redevelopment Forum.
ADC’s block of rooms is now closed, but rooms are still available at the Westin at prevailing market rates. Please see the hotel’s website for more information.
(If you call the Westin to book your room reference the “ADC BRF Hotel Block of Rooms”).
Applies to only DOD Personnel attending in an official capacity. Please register with your .mil email.
