The Reindustrialization Program at DOE's Oak Ridge Office was recently named a finalist in the U.S. General Services Administration’s 14th Annual Achievement Award for Real Property Innovation.
Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management
November 15, 2010
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OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - The Reindustrialization Program at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge Office (ORO) was recently named a finalist in the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) 14th Annual Achievement Award for Real Property Innovation.
This year’s competition received 45 entries from 13 federal agencies in the areas of asset management, sustainability, and workplace innovation. The award program was established to improve federal agencies’ real property management practices through recognizing success stories and communicating those ideas for future use by other agencies. ORO’s submission titled Reindustrialization- Innovative Approaches to Asset Management claimed finalist status in the asset management category.
“Our Reindustrialization Program is doing a tremendous job transforming the East Tennessee Technology Park into a site that will strengthen the local economy and community,” said Robert Brown, ORO’s Deputy Manager and former Assistant Manager for Assets Utilization. “Our efforts have set the precedent within DOE and are proving the opportunities and savings possible through this program.”
ORO’s submission detailed the journey to convert a contaminated, World War II weapons site, into a viable technology park for private industry. The Reindustrialization Program, created in 1996, has accelerated cleanup at the site to allow private industry to reuse government land, facilities, and infrastructure.
To date, ORO’s Reindustrialization Program has overseen the transfer of more than 150 acres, 11 facilities, water and electrical infrastructure, and roadways to private and municipal ownership. The East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), once a restricted, government-owned site, now has portions of land available for commercial businesses. This year, the Reindustrialization Program made significant progress with a newly renovated office complex and the construction of two new speculative buildings using private funds.