Real Estate Development
Typical Services Include:
- Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments
- Hazardous materials surveys
- Remediation planning and oversight
- Permitting and regulatory coordination
- Property Condition Assessments
- Asbestos-containing material, lead-based paint, radon, and PCB surveys
- Soil and groundwater management plans
- Health and Safety Plans
- SPCC planning
- Wetland and ecological review
- Cultural resources and archaeological review
- Construction environmental support
Capabilities in detail
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Phase I Environmental Site Assessments
A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment is commonly performed during the due diligence period for commercial and industrial property transactions, refinancing, redevelopment, or changes in property use. DEA’s Phase I ESAs are performed in general accordance with ASTM E1527-21 as applicable.
The assessment is non-invasive and typically includes historical research, regulatory database review, site reconnaissance, and interviews. DEA evaluates the information to determine whether Recognized Environmental Conditions are present and documents conclusions in a clear, defensible report.
Phase I findings help clients understand whether additional investigation may be warranted before acquisition, financing, or development. The objective is to provide useful information for a time-sensitive business decision, not to overstate environmental risk.
Phase II Site Characterization
When a potential concern requires additional evaluation, DEA can design and perform a targeted Phase II Environmental Site Assessment. Depending on the issue, this may include soil, groundwater, and/or vapor sampling.
The scope is developed around the specific concern and project objective. DEA coordinates fieldwork, laboratory analysis, data interpretation, and reporting so the client can understand whether contamination is present and what additional action, if any, may be appropriate.
Phase II results can inform transaction terms, redevelopment plans, soil management, remediation strategy, agency coordination, and construction controls.
Property Condition & Hazardous Materials
DEA also supports evaluation of existing buildings and improvements. Property Condition Assessments can help identify structural, building-system, and capital expenditure considerations relevant to ownership and redevelopment.
Hazardous building material surveys may address asbestos-containing materials, lead-based paint, radon, and PCBs based on the property and planned work. For renovation or demolition, early identification can support abatement planning, worker protection, waste handling, and project scheduling.
Redevelopment & Remediation
Properties with known or suspected environmental impacts can still move forward with appropriate planning. DEA supports soil and groundwater management plans, remediation planning and design, regulatory coordination, contractor coordination, field oversight, and documentation.
For redevelopment, environmental management should be connected to the construction plan. Excavation, dewatering, demolition, utility work, and material handling can all affect how environmental conditions are managed. DEA works with project teams to translate environmental findings into practical procedures.
Where regulatory closure or agency coordination is required, DEA can help organize the technical information and maintain communication among the owner, project team, contractors, and regulators.
Natural & Cultural Resource Considerations
Development sites can also involve wetlands, waterways, protected species, archaeological resources, or historic properties. DEA’s natural resources and cultural resources teams can screen for these constraints and perform field studies, consultation, and permitting where needed.
This multidisciplinary capability is useful for greenfield development, large mixed-use sites, industrial projects, and infrastructure-related real estate where environmental requirements extend beyond traditional transaction due diligence.
When to Involve DEA
Environmental due diligence is most valuable when completed early enough to influence the transaction or development plan. Clients may involve DEA before property acquisition, during lender review, before refinancing, ahead of redevelopment or reconstruction, or when changing a property to a more sensitive use.
For development projects, early environmental screening can also help identify permitting or resource constraints before design is advanced. DEA can then remain involved as the project moves into investigation, remediation, permitting, and construction.
This continuity gives clients a single environmental partner that understands the history of the property and the decisions that led to the current project approach.
DEA’s Project Delivery Approach
DEA begins each assignment by understanding the project purpose, schedule, available design information, and the decision the environmental work is intended to support. This helps keep the scope focused and allows technical work to be sequenced around project milestones.
Senior professionals remain involved in scoping, review, coordination, and issue resolution. When field conditions or agency comments change the expected path, clients have access to experienced practitioners who understand both the technical work and the broader project context.
Clear documentation is a core part of DEA’s approach. Reports, maps, correspondence, and recommendations are prepared so the project team can understand what was evaluated, what was identified, and what action may be required next. This is especially important when environmental information must be shared across engineering, legal, construction, funding, and operations teams.
DEA also looks for opportunities to coordinate related environmental tasks. When multiple disciplines apply, aligning fieldwork, GIS data, agency outreach, and reporting can reduce duplication and help keep the environmental record consistent as the project moves forward.
Coordinated Environmental Support
Environmental consulting is most effective when it is integrated with project planning rather than treated as a late-stage approval task. DEA encourages clients to involve the environmental team early enough to evaluate alternatives, plan fieldwork, and coordinate agency review before environmental constraints become schedule-critical.
For multi-site and corridor programs, DEA can apply consistent screening, documentation, mapping, and quality-control practices across the portfolio while preserving site-specific analysis. This combination of repeatability and professional judgment helps clients manage large volumes of work without reducing environmental review to a one-size-fits-all checklist.
As a full-service environmental consulting firm, DEA can remain involved when one finding leads to another need. A screening may lead to field survey; a field finding may lead to consultation or permitting; a permit may create construction commitments. Maintaining continuity across those steps helps preserve project knowledge and accountability.