Award-Winning Brownfield Redevelopment – Aiding Communities in Sustainability Planning and Coordination

Golden Urban Renewal Authority – Golden, CO

Public- Private Partnerships, Planning, and Funding Integral to Achieving Sustainable Redevelopment

Through a unique private-public partnership, Weaver Consultants Group (WCG) supported the Golden Urban Renewal Authority (GURA) with strategically planning how soil and groundwater remediation could facilitate redevelopment to achieve a sustainable, long-term solution to benefit the community. The project required dedicated planning from design, financing, securing future developers, developing partnerships, and adopting the most beneficial soil and groundwater remediation efforts to enable a resilient, sustainable project.

WCG capitalized on its experience and teamed up with GURA, Coors Brewing Company (Coors), City of Golden Public Works (City of Golden), Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), and other impacted offsite properties to develop a synergistic and sustainable remedial planning program. WCG coordinated with key stakeholders to understand respective goals and challenges and present alternative concepts, limitations, and new approaches to achieve project goals that could enhance sustainability. Our team conducted site-specific assessments to identify environmental risks. Through development and negotiation, we were able to create a unique regulatory solution to expedite the regulatory closure of uncontaminated portions of the property while utilizing traditional funding sources. Our team applied innovative approaches to reduce costs through coordination with outside entities. WCG coordinated with the developer and their contractor to allow remedial activities to run concurrently with construction activities and with the City of Golden to install systems that further reduced installation costs. Development and negotiation of an agreement with Coors and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) utilized spent brewer’s solution as an in-situ enhanced treatment that sustainably re-used by-products.

To support the sustainability planning for the redevelopment, WCG developed client-focused and cost-effective solutions by working with the City of Golden and Coors. WCG assisted GURA with preparing loan and grant applications for the Colorado Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (BRLF) and the USEPA Brownfield Grant program. GURA successfully obtained a $280,000 BRLF loan and a $200,000 EPA Brownfield Grant. Through design, communication, and unique regulatory strategies, GURA, WCG, and the commercial and residential developers were able to work together to create a highly successful mixed-use development. WCG has multiple award-winning brownfield development experiences working with national developers to create unique, sustainable redevelopment solutions. Golden continues to see project success, including the creation of sustainable jobs and housing through investing in complex projects and encouraging urbanity and quality of life.