Herkimer County LDC marketing lead says Brownfields Developer Summit was largest yet; plans regional nonprofit

Sam, the marketing lead, presented a recap of the Brownfields Developer Summit, describing it as the LDC’s biggest year for attendance and outreach and highlighting collaborations with the EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Why it matters: the summit raised the profile of local brownfields redevelopment, attracted developer tours of downtown Utica and other sites, and generated new regional interest that organizers say could justify creating a nonprofit to manage the conference if additional counties join.

Details: Sam showed photos from the event, noted an Earth Day tree‑planting that included EPA and DEC staff, and summarized a downtown Utica brownfields tour. The summit featured a keynote speaker from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on artificial intelligence and real estate. Sam said the summit included a poster contest (14 entries) with a people’s choice award and a panel‑selected award; winners included a County Center for Regional Growth entry (people’s choice) and an MV Edge entry (panel selected).

Organizer notes: Sam and staff said they plan to host the event again at the college next year and are discussing forming a not‑for‑profit to provide consistent administration and enable broader county participation. The presenter cautioned that larger statewide partners would need clear governance so smaller counties are not sidelined.

Next steps: staff will debrief in two weeks, continue outreach, and return to the board with any organizational proposals for the summit.