Paid Individual Subscription
Complete website access for 12-consecutive months -- only $79.95 (84.95 Canada). Please click here for complete details, and to compare subscription offers.
REGISTER

  Not Subscribed FREE Subscription Paid Individual Subscription Paid Institutional Subscriptions
         
Duration - 12 months 12 months 12 months
Print magazine - 1 copy 1 copy 5+ copies
Website limited full full full
Digital Edition current issue only      
Price - FREE to qualified
individuals
$79.95 $239.85

Paid Institutional Subscriptions
Get a volume discount if you have five or more individual subscribers.
For complete details, and to compare subscription options, please click here.

REGISTER

Member Login

Lost your password?
  •  
  • Hello Guest!
  • |
  • Log In | Register Close Panel
  •  

Brownfield Renewal Logo
 GO 
Register |  Contact Us |  Media Kit |  Terms of Service | 
  • Magazine
  • Awards
    • » Renewal Awards
    • » Person of the Year
      • » 2012 Nominations
      • » 2011 Winner
      • » 2011 Nominees
      • » 2010 Winner
      • » 2010 Nominees
  • Green development strategies
    • » Green Energy
    • » Green Buildings
    • » Green Tehnologies
    • » Sustainable Solutions
    • » Urban Agriculture
    • » Smart Growth
    • » Public Health
  • Economic Development
    • » Real estate and deal making
    • » Public-private partnerships
    • » Rural and small town issues
    • » Smart growth
    • » Urban design and planning
    • » State and local financing
    • » Economic and community development
    • » Grants, incentives
  • Environment & Remediation
    • » Vapor intrusion
    • » Petroleum brownfields
    • » Mines
    • » State voluntary cleanup programs
    • » Regulatory issues (EPA / federal / state)
    • » Legislative issues (trends, budgets)
    • » Technology
  • Community & Social
    • » Transit-oriented design
    • » Area wide planning
    • » Public health
    • » Legal responsibility
    • » Affordable housing
    • » Environmental justice
    • » Historic preservation
    • » Green jobs
    • » Community engagement
    • » Tribal programs
  • Job Board
  • Experts
    • » Blogs
    • » Interviews
    • » Whitepapers

WINNER - SOCIAL IMPACT
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2012 |  2011 |  2010 |  2009
 
Awards Winners | Nominees | Judges
Awards Winners | Nominees | Judges
Awards Winners | Nominees | Judges

River Raisin National Battlefield Park


"While recognizing and returning the rich cultural history of our country is important in brownfield redevelopment, it is often overlooked for more traditional end uses, such as retail, commercial and residential. The River Raisin National Battlefield Park project is an wonderful example of what can be achieved while still preserving a culture's history."

Colleen Kokas
Brownfield Manager Office of Brownfield Reuse New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc.

Did the project increase job opportunities in the community, or communities, surrounding the site?
Under the abandoned paper-mill buildings in northeastern Monroe, Michigan lies an historic jewel that has just begun to sparkle for the residents of the community, the State of Michigan, the Great Lakes region, and the entire country. Two facets of this jewelwhich is listed on both the Michigan and National Historic Registers and soon to be included in the National Park System-are the locations of the Battle of the River Raisin in the War of 1812 and the 1780s community of Frenchtown, the original settlement of Monroe.

The Frenchtown Settlement/River Raisin Battlefield site is considered by local and state experts to be one of the most important historic and archeological sites in Michigan. The City of Monroe, the State of Michigan, and the previous property owner, Homrich Incorporated, took advantage of an unprecedented opportunity to preserve history and turn this former industrial brownfield into a state and federal focal point for sustainable historic preservation, education, recreation, and tourism.

Successful completion of the brownfield-redevelopment plan for the site provides tourists, history buffs, archeologists, and historians an opportunity to increase their knowledge and understanding of early settlement of the region and the Battle of the River Raisin.

A study examining the potential economic impact and benefits related to the development of a visitors' center at the River Raisin battlefield site was conducted prior to the National Battlefield Park designation. One of the areas studied-increased dollar flowdemonstrated the potential for substantial increases in job creation, visitor spending, personal income, and sales related to historic tourism and interpretation of the battlefield site.

Results of that study are summarized below:

  • Estimated visits: 40,022 annually;
  • Total annual visitor spending: $4.48 million;
  • Total annual direct sales in region (multiplier effect of visitor spending): $4,354,000;
  • Jobs created (full & part-time): 110;
  • Personal income from jobs created: $1,747,000;
  • Increased tax revenue on spending: $259,000 annually;
  • Increased tax revenue on income: $47,000 annually;
  • Increased hotel tax revenue: $10,000 to $20,000 annually;

Before:
 
After:

Did the project help to decrease local crime rates or to improve human health and safety?
For years, abandoned paper-mill buildings constituted a serious and imminent threat to public safety and welfare at the site. Children, teenagers, or others often illegally occupied the buildings as a place to play or conduct illegal activities. The City of Monroe and Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc. (SME) of Plymouth, Michigan, spent over seven years securing $3.2 million to pay for the environmental and demolition activities necessary to allow transfer of the East Mill historic parcel for preservation and interpretive redevelopment. The grant monies were used to demolish remaining buildings, remove PCB transformers and underground storage tanks, and address residual environmental issues, mitigating the threat to human health and safety. SME worked with archaeologists from the National Park Service, State of Michigan and Heidelberg University to develop environmental assessment and demolition strategies that would protect buried historic artifacts and resources.

Today, the River Raisin battlefield site is controlled by the Monroe County Historical Society, Monroe County and Port of Monroe. This presents the City of Monroe, State of Michigan, and National Park Service with a rare opportunity to make possible a variety of sustainable, public benefits:
  • Historic preservation: Few War of 1812 battlefields, especially of the importance of the River Raisin site, have been preserved and even fewer reclaimed. Preservation of the site will allow archaeologists to expand knowledge of the early settlers of Michigan and the Battle of the River Raisin. Successful redevelopment of the site as an interpretive center will expand educational and interpretive programs and attract more visitors to the site, Monroe, and Michigan.
  • Historic tourism: The expanded River Raisin battlefield site and National Battlefield Park designation will expand the site's attractiveness for tourists interested in Michigan and U.S. history, prehistoric and historic archaeology, military history, and history related to the War of 1812 specifically. The City of Monroe's Department of Community Development and Planning is pursuing development of an international War of 1812 Corridor that would connect important sites from Canada to Kentucky. Frenchtown and the River Raisin Battlefield will become a pivotal component of this corridor.
  • Recreation: The historic site lies between the City of Monroe and Sterling State Park on the shore of Lake Erie, one of the most visited parks in Michigan. A hike and bike trail to connect the park to the existing river walk and hike and bike trails in Monroe is under development.

Page: 1 / 2
NEXT PAGE
LAST PAGE
Related Articles
 

Greensboro, Meet Brownfield - ...

Southern Region: Policies - FLORIDAHB 527:Addresses Brownfield and Voluntary Cleanup Tax Credit Issues. Signed into law by Governor Charlie Crist on June 30, 2008 and is retroactive to January 1, 2008. ...


Renewal Magazine
 

Current Issue  |  Digital Edition  |  Archives

Brownfield Renewal April 2011
Inside the Beltway: Can Bi-Partisanship Boost Brownfields?
With the Washington budget showing no signs of a quick-and-easy resolution, federal brownfields programs are unlikely to get much of …

Chicago Urban Ag Development Is ‘Food for Thought’ ...

Brownfields and crop development—for the express intent of producing foods—are concepts that have always been strange bedfellows. Mutually exclusive. An…

First Panned, Then Well-Planned! ...

At this abandoned, blighted factory—consisting of 187,227 square feet in 21 different structures on 13.5 acres in the three…

Highpointe of Clemson, 500 West Cherry Road, Columbia, S.C. ...

PROJECT GOAL: To revitalize land that had been sitting idle for years by putting the property back into productive…


plus All Archives



Job Board Listings
 

Featured Jobs  |  Newest Jobs |  Sponsors

Senior Environmental Professional (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
SME is seeking an experienced Environmental Professional with 15+ years experience for our Kalamazoo office to provide technical leadership and senior-level project management. For 47 years, SME has …
Environmental Project Manager (Toledo, Ohio)
SME, consultants in the Geosciences, Materials and the Environment, seeks an experienced Environmental Professional for its growing Toledo office. For 47 years, SME has provided cost-effective, pract…
Vice President of Construction (Memphis, Tennessee)
The Vice President of Construction provides leadership and direction for all aspects of construction throughout the company, including strategic planning and improving current systems and work progres…
Certified Residential Appraiser (Columbus, Ohio)
CJob Description:- The client, is seeking HUD approved, Certified Appraisers in the Ohio area. - Knowledge of ACI software is a plus.- $20 per month cell phone credit - Guaranteed bi-weekly pay checks…
Revit Drafter (Boston, Massachusetts)
Aerotek is currently seeking a Revit Technician.This is a contract through the end of February with strong possibility to extend/go perm. Qualifications:-5 years architectural office experience-3 year…
Structural Engineer (Saginaw, Michigan)
We are working with an Architecture Firm in Saginaw, MI, and they are looking for a structural engineer. A good candidate for the position is a licensed Engineer or an Engineer in Training with 3 year…
SAP SRM Consultant (Charlotte, North Carolina)
The position is open due to the lack of SAP SRM business process domain knowledge within their existing team and this person will fill be the subject matter expert for their SRM systems. A big part of…



This Weeks Poll
 

Will the EPA Workforce Development and other similar environmental jobs programs signal the start of a revitalized U.S. job market?

 more  Vote / See Results




Industry Profiles
 
Janet Taylor Janet Taylor
Oregon
Pilot, entrepreneur and mayor of Salem

Paul Curran Paul Curran
Lackawanna, N.Y.
Senior Executive Vice President, Axio Power & Apex Wind Energy

Cleo Corbett Cleo Corbett
Alberta, Canada
manager of Development Services/Planning, Town of Golden, Alberta, Canada



Whitepapers
 
Accelerating Economic Development:The Area-Wide Approach of the Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program
by Jody Kass, Laura Truettner, John Fleming, and Jeff Jones
The new report by New Partners for Community Revitalization (NPCR) shows how New York State is revitalizing neighborhoods plagued by multiple brownfield sites, while stimulating economic growth and creating local jobs.
   
Smart Growth Outlook 2011: Challenges and Opportunities in Brownfields, Area-wide Planning & Implementation
By Jody Kass, Laura Truettner, John Fleming, Jeff Jones
Brownfields redevelopment policy in New York is in transition as the area-wide approach emerges as an innovative tool for urban revitalization.
   
The Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program: Smart Investments Laying the Groundwork for Economic Development, June 2011
by Laura Truettner
In April, 2011, New York State awarded $6.5 million in new grants under its landmark Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) program, bringing the total state investment in BOA to $34 million.
   

Press Releases
 
Brownfields Forum, BOA EXPO, Award to Suffolk County Executive-Elect Steven Bellone

Industry Events
 
New Partners for Smart Growth Conference
Feb 02, 2012 - Today
San Diego
Carbon Management Technology Conference
Feb 07, 2012 - Feb 09, 2012
Orlando
Southwest Fire Ecology Conference—Fire, Landscapes, Wildlife & People: Building Alliances for Restoring Ecosystem Resilience
Feb 27, 2012 - Mar 01, 2012
Santa Fe

Submit Event


Industry Experts
 
Kenneth H. Kastman
Chicago
URS Corp.

Susan Boyle
Mt. Laurel
Senior Environmental Practice Leader, GEI Consultants

Therese Carpenter
Phoenix
Environmental Scientist



  • Projects
  • People
  • Events
CHANNELS
Green development strategies
Economic Development
Environment & Remediation
Community & Social
BROWNFIELD RENEWAL
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Media kit
Contact Us
Copyright 2012 DaVinci Graphics, inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or any part without the expressed written permission of the publisher is prohibited. ISSN 1554-8791