The 2020 Minnesota Brownfields ReScape Awards was held as a virtual event on Thursday, November 5th celebrating projects that demonstrate innovation, collaboration, and exemplary results in revitalizing formerly contaminated land. The program included an array of special video segments, sponsor features, and live presentations, including keynote speaker Sam Grant, Executive Director of MN350.
The Awards recognized exemplary brownfield redevelopment projects completed statewide in 5 categories:
Community Impact Award (Small Projects – $20M or Less / Large Projects $20M+) – Projects achieving notable community benefits, placing a high value on community outreach, incorporating equitable approaches, improving quality-of-life issues, and/or using other social innovations or public policy initiatives.
Winner (Small Projects) – Great River Landing
Finalists (Small Projects) –
- Great River Landing
- Mino Oski Ain Dah Yung
- Park 7
Winner (Large Projects) – Brook Avenue Co-op and Maya Commons
Additional Finalists (Large Projects) –
- Colder Products Company Corporate Headquarters
- Hook and Ladder Apartments
Economic Impact Award (Small Projects – $20M or Less / Large Projects $20M+) – Projects modeling positive economic impacts for cities and neighborhoods involving community wealth creation, job or housing creation, increase in tax base, and/or promotion of smart growth.
Winner (Small Projects) – McGough Company Headquarters
Additional Finalists (Small Projects) –
- Mino Oski Ain Dah Yung
Winner (Large Projects) – Minnesota Drive Medical Campus
Finalists (Large Projects) –
- Brook Avenue Co-op and Maya Commons
Environmental Impact Award (Small Projects – $20M or Less / Large Projects $20M+) – Projects innovatively preventing environmental contaminant exposures, incorporating engineered barriers, sustainable building approaches, and/or natural resource restoration.
Winner (Small Projects) – Mino Oski Ain Dah Yung
Winner (Large Projects) – Union Flats Apartments
Additional Finalists (Large Projects) –
- Brook Avenue Co-op and Maya Commons
Promising Project Award – Projects currently underway or even stalled, which have shown innovative solutions to complex challenges, and promise substantial community, economic or environmental impacts upon completion.
Winner – Straight River Apartments and Straight River City Park
Innovation Award – Projects employing unique and innovative approaches to redevelopment challenges related to engineering, financing, legal, community outreach, or other issues.
Winner – Hook and Ladder Apartments
Finalists –
- Great River Landing
- Minnesota Drive Medical Campus
- Mino Oski Ain Dah Yung
Congratulations to all the nominees and winners in this year’s competition! The work you each do to improve our community and environment does not go unnoticed!
In addition to the 5 project awards, the Ceremony celebrated the award of the Mac Hyde Brownfield Scholarship Award, given to undergraduate or graduate students in Minnesota pursuing a field of study related to brownfields redevelopment. This year, there were 2 scholarships awarded to Antavia Paredes-Beaulieu, a senior at Metropolitan State University majoring in chemistry, and Alex Thomas, a junior at Macalester College majoring in environmental studies and studio art.
A special thank you goes out to all the judges and event sponsors:
Judges –
- Thomas Braun, Stoel Rives
- Kevin Carroll, City of Minneapolis
- Abbie Loosen, Project for Pride in Living
- Erin Berg, RETHOS
- Martha Faust, Ramsey County
- Kristina Smitten, Hillcrest Development
- Briana Kirby, Bremer Bank
- Jim Schleper, Inventure Properties
- Meredith Udoibok, MN DEED
- Rosita Clarke, Federal EPA
- Dave Knight, MPCA
- Eric Weiss, Trust for Public Land
Sponsors –
- Wenk Associates, Inc.
- Lathrop GMP
- Hyde Development
- Braun Intertec
- Stantec
- American Engineering Testing, Inc.
- Stinson
- Saint Paul Port Authority
- Barr Engineering Company
- Bay West
- Economic Development Association of MN
- Terracon
- Fredrikson
- Historical Information Gatherers
- Landmark Environmental
- Vieau Associates
- Winthrop & Weinstine
- WSP Global
- Frattalone Companies