Posted on: October 19, 2026
Join VMWP’s Laura Shagalov who will presenting:
Small Scale, Big Impact: Opportunities in Infill Development
Register Today!
October 22–23, 2026
Mayo Civic Center | Rochester, Minnesota
Conference Fee: $225
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) will host Brownfields and Beyond: 2026 Minnesota Redevelopment Conference Thursday and Friday, October 22 and 23, 2026, at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minnesota.
The conference will convene more than 100 of Minnesota’s leading professionals from the private, public and nonprofit sectors engaged in all facets of brownfield and redevelopment work, including economic development, local and state government, environmental science, finance, law, engineering, development, real estate, advocacy and education, planning, and consulting.
Attendees will range from seasoned professionals to those new to the field and will represent communities from across Minnesota, including metropolitan areas, regional centers and rural communities.
This year’s conference will feature keynote and plenary sessions, breakout sessions, networking opportunities and more. Pre-conference activities will begin on Wednesday, October 21, with a Rochester redevelopment bus tour and welcome reception.
Small scale, big impact: Opportunities in infill development
Large development projects often make it to the front page of the newspaper. Yet, smaller infill sites have an outsized impact on how we experience a new or familiar place. There are several pathways to support small scale infill development, and this session will offer reflections on how strategies like predevelopment assistance and capital funding can help projects move forward. The focus on small infill development, particularly in urban settings, will allow participants to reflect on how they can engage local developers in their communities and ways they can reposition vacant and underutilized properties to meet community needs.
Speakers:
- Zack Avre, Hennepin County
- Joanna Hicks, Element Real Estate
- Laura Shagalov, Van Meter Williams Pollack
Posted in: News