ReVenture Park, Charlotte, NC

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Withers & Ravenel created the vision and master plan for ReVenture Park (www.reventurepark.com) which involves redeveloping a 667-acre Superfund Site along the Catawba River in Charlotte, NC into the region’s first Renewable Energy Eco-Industrial Park. For this project, Withers & Ravenel has performed master planning, permitting, surveying, Phase 1 Environmental Assessments, DENR negotiations, and project management in support for Forsite Development featuring multiple clean-energy projects, ReVenture will advance the Charlotte region’s environmental and economic goals by developing renewable energy and alternative fuel projects. The Eco-Industrial Park is designed to leverage synergies between multiple sustainable components including a Biomass power plant, solar fields, incubator labs, wastewater treatment and reuse, and R&D facilities. When fully developed, ReVenture is estimated to generate over $900 million of new investment and create more than 1,100 “green collar” jobs. This project substantially advances Charlotte’s vision of becoming the “New Energy Capital” and will be a catalyst for attracting renewable energy companies and fostering new technologies.
Current projects include:
? Long Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF)
? 44-50mega watt Biomass to Energy power plant
? 4 megawatt Solar Farm
? Biomass Fuel Processing
? Propane Fleet Vehicle Conversion Facility
? Alternative Fueling Station
? Ethanol Transloading
? Biodiesel Refining
? Green Business Incubator
? Renewable Energy Research Lab
Community-buy-in is a critical component to the project’s success. The ReVenture team supported by Withers & Ravenel is currently implementing an extensive Community Involvement Plan that has involved community meetings designed to ease public opinion of the proposed project. The message is that this is not just a stand-alone Biomass project, but a platform for multiple renewable energy projects that will be developed in an environmentally sensitive way. Few, if any, other Biomass projects currently being contemplated can boast a 180 + acre conservation easement, a greenway trial that is a segment in the regional Carolina Thread Trail system, wildlife habitat enhancement/protection, the opportunity to create new jobs and the de-listing of a Federal Superfund site. Area residents and community groups are important partners in the evolution of this plan, and therefore, the ReVenture team continues to conduct community meetings to engage and address the neighbors and other interested parties. Additionally, ReVenture has been meeting with a variety of environmental groups to gauge their potential support or opposition for the project. To date, there has been very positive feedback from such groups, and the ReVenture team feels that such advocates will help inform and temper other environmental entities regarding the project’s positive attributes:
“Green” Development Components
? Restricted to Clean Energy/Fuels Businesses
? 180 acre conservation easement/greenway trail
? 19 % coverage ratio (81% green space)
? Renewable Energy to power 50,000 homes
? New WWFT will improve water quality on the Catawba River
? New green remediation concepts including Phyoremediaiton & Bioremediation
? Turning bio-solids into renewable energy fuel
? Wildlife habitat protection
? Catawba River District certification
? Increased recycling of solid waste
? Utilizing processed solid waste to create renewable energy