The largest architecture show in North America has turned vacant lots in the city's struggling neighborhoods into stages for experimental design. Instead of having international design elites gather in the Cultural Center's ornate Beaux Arts galleries for months of parties, chatter, and provocative ideas, the 2021 CAB is centered on more than a dozen site-specific installations mostly located in struggling neighborhoods on Chicago's South and West sides.

Throughout 2021, CDFA has focused on four key concepts: Restore, Preserve, Invest, and Protect. These themes formed the basis of our work this past year and will guide our discussions during the upcoming Summit. Registration is open and the full agenda is now available online. Join us in November to find new ways of helping your community with development finance!

Two solar projects are on the verge of coming to a full boil. The Nature Conservancy is partnering with utility giant Dominion Energy to install roughly 50 megawatts of solar power on 1,200 acres of brownfields. The former Red Onion surface mine and surrounding properties are in Virginia's Wise and Dickenson counties. Dominion is seeking to expand its renewable energy portfolio because the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which took effect in July 2020, requires the utility to generate 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045.

The sweeping energy bill that passed in Illinois this month promises a "just transition" for communities that are affected by power plant closings. The law includes incentives to build solar and storage on the site of former coal facilities. The provisions are complicated and limited but could create many construction jobs and tax revenue depending on how companies like Vistra Energy embrace the concept.

Local, state, and federal officials are set to gather at the Johnstown-Gloversville Holiday Inn for a two-day "Mohawk Valley Brownfield Development Summit". The summit is being organized by the leadership of the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council, which oversees the six counties in the Mohawk Valley. Brownfield properties in the Mohawk Valley could be looked at for an estimated $2 billion worth of private investment.

An abandoned and sprawling machine tool factory at the gateway to downtown, long a ghostly reminder of the region's economic decline, will finally be demolished and the site remediated. It will receive an estimated $3.7 million administered through Vermont's Brownfield Economic Revitalization Alliance program.

Vermont Governor Phil Scott joined state, local, and federal officials to detail $25 million in new state funding to clean up brownfield sites. This investment represents a significant milestone, marking the first time state dollars have been allocated to brownfield sites.

The stalled redevelopment of a vacant church into apartment units on Grand Rapids' west side is back on track. The project developer is requesting reimbursement of up to $697,910 over 25 years for eligible brownfield work to the site. The total capital investment in the project is expected to be about $3.6 million.

The Tennessee Comptroller State Funding Board has approved $65 million in FastTrack grants for Oracle's new Nashville campus, including an investment of $175 million in public infrastructure that included a pedestrian bridge over the Cumberland River, a sewer pump, brownfield remediation, and a waterfront park. In turn, Oracle has agreed to create 5,989 net new jobs and spend $1.35 billion on the project within the next five years.

CDFA-Bricker PACE Webinar Series: PACE 2.0 - The Next 10 Years
Tuesday, November 30, 2021 - 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Eastern

Intro Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Finance WebCourse
December 8-9, 2021 - Daily: 12:00 - 5:00 PM Eastern

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