Your role for this project will be conventional economic and financial analysis, however some of it will be innovative, given the sustainability orientation of the proposed brownfields redevelopment project. You are responsible for financial analysis and determining if the project would be profitable. He/she should be aware and make suggestions for taking advantage of existing government services and incentives, and help find conventional financing. You are responsible for finding the sustainability edge (see below); being the sustainability conscience; encouraging holistic thinking; regearing the project where necessary so as many of the multiple stakeholders as possible can benefit from it, and showing these net benefits.
The competitive advantage of a sustainability approach may be ascertained by considering the following: taking advantage of the best current thinking on green development, linking in opportunities for job training where feasible, finding and demonstrating the sometimes not-so-obvious benefits and/or reduced costs of a sustainability approach, and attracting partners from business who “get it (sustainability),” or are capable of it. (In conclusion)
You will prepare the following:
- A prioritized list of measurable sustainability indicators for your specific area of expertise
- An evaluation of all twelve brownfield sites with specific recommendations for each site in the context of your area of expertise and sustainable development
- A report with an evaluation and recommendations not exceeding 5 pages to be e-mailed to the project manager, all team members, and the instructor
You should respond to the following in the preparation of your report:
- How does green development, particularly in a brownfields situation, differ from conventional development and what forms of green development seem most promising for Trenton (e.g. eco-industrial parks, green development, eco-villages, LEED certified buildings, other), particularly for the areas your team has chosen?
- What sustainability edge(s) does the proposal claim, and how will you show it/them?
- How will you engage the business and financial communities, both of whom may never have heard of, may be ideologically opposed or suspicious of a sustainable brownfields development?
The project manager will conduct a meeting to discuss all twelve brownfield sites. The company will discuss each site and then propose a preliminary plan including which site or sites (totaling 10 acres) should be redeveloped and the type of redevelopment.
Experts will then customize their original research to fit the goals and objectives of the preliminary plan and e-mail it to the project manager and all team members.
The project manager will coordinate collaborations between specific areas to ensure that the final plan is (appropriated) balanced and addresses the most measurable sustainability indicators possible.
The final plan (project) will be prepared and presented in a ½ hour oral and visual presentation. Each (team) member of the consulting firm will be responsible for 5 minutes of the ½ hour presentation to the “Trenton City Council” (the class).