The City of Burlington will host the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) from Wednesday, September 19th through Friday, September 21st.
Burlington was one of a select few that were chosen in the nation for this grant. The SDAT program is a three-day program designed to help communities develop a vision for a sustainable future and a realistic, attainable roadmap for the reuse of significant property in their community. The program will bring teams of experts including architects, urban designers, landscape architects, planners, economists and others to work with Burlington leaders, stakeholders and citizens. The result will be a broad assessment that helps frame a plan for reuse of the Western Electric Plant in Burlington.
Burlington’s SDAT program will be led by Tom Liebel, a national leader in sustainable design principles. Liebel says: “We are excited to bring the proven success of the American Institute of Architects Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) process to Burlington. Bringing a team of collaboratively-minded professionals to work within a community to assist neighbors, local community organizations and other stakeholders in unlocking the hidden potential of a site is incredibly rewarding.”
During the three day program, the public will have many opportunities to participate. Public events are listed below:
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH
8:00am - Community & City Council Breakfast
The SDAT team will introduce the process and receive input from City Council and community stakeholders. This event will take place at Western Electric, 204 N. Graham Hopedale Road.
- 5:00pm-6:00pm - Guided Tours of Western Electric Plant and Grounds
-
- 6pm-7:30pm - Public Input Session
- The SDAT team will be hosting an input session on the Western Electric property.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st
6:00pm - SDAT Presentation of Team Findings
The SDAT will provide an early capstone of the research and conclusions of the visit. This public event will be held at ABSS Central Office Auditorium, located at 1712 Vaughn Road, Burlington, NC 27217.
As part of this program, a team of stakeholders has been developed. The stakeholders will work with the SDAT members throughout the visit. Kathy Coville, Healthy Communities Director at Cone Health and stakeholder committee member, stated “East Burlington has a proud history and the potential to come back stronger than ever. The Western Electric plant was a critical economic engine for decades, creating opportunity for families across Alamance County. We are thrilled to join our partners in a vision to renew that fire.”
Following the visit, the SDAT will continue to work and develop a more comprehensive report that will be shared with Burlington City Council at a later date.
The City of Burlington would like to encourage members of the public to attend these events, share their feedback, and learn about the exciting opportunities the Western Electric facility could pose for our community!
Learn more about the project at www.BurlingtonNC.gov/WesternElectric and join our email list to stay updated! Media inquiries should be directed to Burlington Economic Development Director Peter Bishop at pbishop@BurlingtonNC.gov or at (336) 222-5147.