GSA Receives Prestigious Phoenix Award: Innovative Approach Rewarded

The largely unused property became what is known as a "brownfield," real estate with real or perceived economic or environmental barriers to effective reuse. But in 1999, as part of the General Services Administration's (GSA) Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative, the federal government returned it to the community.

Booz Allen worked with GSA's Office of Property Disposal to transform the property from blighted to bustling, and this year GSA was honored with a Phoenix Award. Created in 1997 by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Phoenix Award acknowledges innovative projects that return unused or abandoned industrial and commercial sites to productive uses.

Balancing Local, State, and Federal Interests

Successful brownfields projects rely on a coalition of stakeholders such as federal, state, and local agencies, the public, consulting community, economic development agencies, and real estate developers.

According to Booz Allen Senior Associate Ashley O'Connor, "Community for us isn't just citizens, it's also local government and other stakeholders."

The firm coordinated outreach efforts that included the local councilman, the area's US Congressional Representative Diana DeGette, the Denver Urban Renewal Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency, GSA, and the two new co-owners — private developer Denver Northside Industrial LLC, and the Inner-City Community Development Corporation, a non-profit organization.

Tools to Rebuild a Brownfield and Revitalize a Neighborhood

In addition to using its outreach expertise, Booz Allen helped GSA in the areas of regulatory analysis and land-use planning. "Given the regulatory framework, we helped GSA determine what the community's options were — because brownfields projects are very much centered on public benefit," says O'Connor.

While some private companies are now tenants, the redevelopment was geared towards attracting public, non-profit organizations that benefit the community — such as social service agencies providing day care, health care, and job training.

Booz Allen developed a geographic information system (GIS) for its work on the Denver site, which allowed GSA to consider a range of community revitalization issues and focus its analysis of the underutilized property. Using the GIS' mapping capabilities, the Booz Allen team conducted demographic and real estate studies on the area, the people who live there, available jobs, and land use, to gain a better understanding of the local community before planning for future development.

A Big Honor

Booz Allen Associate Munson Park is proud of GSA's success and the firm's role in providing outreach and expertise in urban, transportation, and land use planning.

"The Phoenix Awards are like the Academy Awards for brownfields work," says Park. "They recognize the meaningful community components involved in this project — job creation in a diverse, low-income community, and the redevelopment of this property. The recognition also furthers our client's efforts in the brownfields program and highlights the agency's interaction with communities."

story posted January 2002