Tower Investments
Tower Investments is Eastern Pennsylvania's leading developer of retail, entertainment, residential and commercial properties. Tower acquired the iconic Schmidt's Brewery in the city's Northern Liberties neighborhood in 2000 seeking to revitalize an abandoned 18-acre urban parcel.Tower's proposed transformation of Northern Liberties was anchored by an incredible vision - an 80,000-square-foot Italian-inspired Piazza surrounded by 100,000-square-feet of restaurants and retail shops; hundreds of residential units; and an award-winning, rounded seven-story office building known as The Egg.
Before the project could commence, Tower was legally required to satisfy a wide range of stakeholders, including the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
In 2006, Tower enlisted Mills & Company to develop and execute a formal Public Involvement Process (PIP) prior to redevelopment of the brewery site. This PIP was required to address public concerns about the removal of pre-existing "Brownfield' contaminants.
Prior to this point, no entity had ever undertaken a PIP in Philadelphia.
To meet DEP requirements, Mills & Company worked closely with Tower's legal, design and management team to create a PIP program that would engage a diverse community of environmentalists, urban pioneers, artists and small business owners on a range of contentious issues. The PIP took place during a period high-profile regional media coverage regarding the proposed development which was driven by project opponents.
Mills & Company crafted a PIP that not only satisfied Pennsylvania DEP, but set a new statewide standard for transparency and public involvement. The process included multiple presentations, roundtable discussions, aggressive constituent/stakeholder outreach, and enlistment of independent 3rd party experts to ensure a valid, thorough airing of muliple technical issues associated with the Brownfield remediation.
Rapid response provided by Mills & Company to all technical and non-technical information requests played a critical role in the program. Continual media engagement and use of internet also contributed to the successful PIP.
Following the six-month-long process, Tower received necessary approvals from Pennsylvania DEP that were required to move forward with the project. Today, the Schmidt's site is the pride of Philadelphia and the Piazza is considered a leading example of American urban redevelopment in the 21st century.