Barrett Kays & Associates

The cover story of the February 1997 issue of North Carolina Magazine, "Bringing Brownfields Back to Life," features Barrett Kays & Associates, P.A. "Brownfields" are what the EPA defines as an abandoned, idle, or underutilized industrial or commercial site where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination that can make redevelopment of the property financially or logistically prohibitive. The article tells the story of Charlotte, NC's South End neighborhood, once a thriving but polluting manufacturing district that now is littered with brownfields. When the neighborhood began to revitalize into a hip center for restaurants, nightclubs and loft apartments, developers and city boosters soon ran into complex contamination issues from the area's past use, which stymied redevelopment plans and real estate transactions. Barrett Kays, through his work on the NCCBI Environmental Concerns Committee, helped draft legislation that would make the level of remediation for brownfields depend on their proposed uses, which would allow Charlotte's South End to restart its thwarted resurgence. In 1997 the NC House and Senate unanimously passed the brownfields bill, and it was signed into law by Governor James B. Hunt. This legislation helps urban neighborhoods all over North Carolina reclaim the estimated 1,000 brownfields and bring these properties back into the tax base, increase inner city economic development and discourage urban sprawl.

For reprints call 919-828-1903 or email webmaster@barrettkays.com.

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