Kandiyohi teams with U-Illinois and U-Wisconsin on brownfields proposal

Kandiyohi has agreed to serve as a technical advisor to a consortium of three universities on a proposal to study best practices in the sustainable redevelopment of brownfield sites.

The University of Illinois-Chicago, University of Illinois-Urbana Champagne, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are seeking a $1,178,602 research grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the three-year research project.

The project will identify brownfield projects, primarily in the Midwest, that have utilized sustainability principles and use life-cycle analysis to look at energy flows and ecological footprints.  The project includes a specific analysis of the Menominee Valley site in Milwaukee, an early 20th Century industrial powerhouse that lost many of its industrial businesses and today includes numerous brownfield sites.

The final product from the research effort will be a website and printed materials identifying the best practices in sustainable redevelopment of these sites, case studies of exemplary redevelopment sites, and tools for policy makers, developers and communities for use on future brownfield projects.

Kandiyohi’s role will be to identify potential case study sites, review research as it is undertaken, and focus on incorporating on-site renewable energy development and green building strategies into brownfields across the country.

EPA is expected to make its funding decision by the end of summer and the project, if funded, would commence in the fall.