Brownfield coordinator plays matchmaker
Renate Mengelberg’s name fits neatly with her job of overseeing brownfield development in Clackamas County, just east of Portland, Oregon. Her first name “Renate” means “new life.” In charge of the Clackamas County Brownfields Program, she helps breathe new life into contaminated properties as she orchestrates the people, funding and forces needed to nudge or kick-start a project.
The program is a young four years old, but Mengelberg started working in county government more than a decade ago, with a newly minted MBA in Marketing. Today Mengelberg sounds like a business person wheeling and dealing in the private sector. That’s probably because her efforts are highly focused on seeking out both property owners and buyers of potential brownfield sites.
As Business and Economic Development Coordinator, Mengelberg’s work went into high gear following a county-wide study in 2003. The results showed a high demand for new industrial space that couldn’t be met with the existing supply of land.
What followed was an EPA-funded systematic search throughout the county for all potential brownfields.
It turned out that in Clackamas County, Oregon’s third largest, 109 properties showed potential for brownfield redevelopment. After a systematic inventory with details on each property, Mengelberg and the three people on her team now have their work cut out for them.
In a program that is more proactive than reactive, Mengelsberg and her colleagues work closely with property owners and potential buyers to get them “smitten” with the concept of cleaning up and redeveloping one of the targeted properties.
In fact, Mengelsberg calls what she does “matchmaking.” Her work consists of a schedule of targeted and ongoing outreach and education activities including cold calling, public forums and one-on-one visits with interested parties.
She admits her approach to describing the potential of redeveloping brownfields is heavy on cost projections because, as she explains, all parties want to know the same thing: how much will it cost to clean up and how much will it sell for?
Specifying every cost estimate is critical, says Mengelsberg, but equally important is de-mystifying the state’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) process and data, and making information user-friendly.
Industrial certification program is huge advantage
In her work to market the benefits of brownfields, Mengelsberg can take advantage of Oregon’s industrial certification program. “We are so fortunate to have our state’s industrial certification program,” says Mengelsberg. “It’s a kind of ‘good housekeeping seal’ because it allays buyers’ concerns about contamination and clean-up issues at the front end of a deal.”
The state inspects and documents factors such as utilities available at the site, local workforce availability, easements and liens, and any improvements on the sites as well as any state or local development incentives.
“This way people are not as fearful about gremlins that might jump out later. It’s a huge marketing advantage. When a potential buyer can read an inspection before they even visit the property, the deal moves faster and keeps moving,” Mengelsberg explains.
With over 100 properties pegged for development and, assuming that Mengelsberg and her colleagues “keep at it”, Clackamas County is likely to be dotted with new and bigger businesses, more jobs and other benefits from an expanded tax base.
And as Mengelsberg and her colleagues keep matchmaking sellers with buyers, they can take credit for having brought a lot of “new life” to their county.
