Resilient Reading Green Building Tour: Masano Auto Park Adaptive Reuse and Sustainability Innovations

Join the GBA Resilient Reading team for a tour of Masano Auto Park, a multi-brand automotive center in Reading, PA., featuring Ford, BMW, and Mercedes-Bens showrooms, that exemplifies how adaptive reuse can transform an abandoned industrial site into a vibrant automotive hub while embracing eco-friendly practices. 

A project of Masano Architect Group Inc. with construction by Burkey Construction, Masano Auto Park demonstrates how adaptive reuse can preserve structural integrity into the design process, sustainability strategies, and vision that revitalized the former 30-acre site of the Baldwin Brass manufacturing facility.

Key features of the space include a 150-car indoor showroom and commercial truck service center, a one-mile on-site test track, and sustainability measures, such as heating the facility with recycled waste oil from vehicle services. 

Sustainability Innovations:

• Year-Round Collection: Oil from customer oil changes is stored in on-site tanks

• High-Efficiency Combustion: Specialized waste oil heaters provide heat for the entire facility during winter

• State-of-the-Art Air Filtration and Air Quality Monitoring

• Customer Incentives: Promotions encourage oil change participation to maintain fuel supply

Environmental Benefits:

• Reduced carbon footprint, eliminated disposal costs, and energy efficiency

Challenges Overcome:

• Environmental remediation of a brownfield site

• Complex zoning and permitting

• Infrastructure modernization

• Structural adaptation of a 75-year-old plant

• Integration of sustainable systems into an older building 

Additional initiatives include Harvest Moon Aquaponics for on-site agriculture and eco-friendly water packaging. 

Participants Will

1. Tour the adaptive reuse automotive center in Reading, PA

2. Learn about the site’s sustainable practices, innovations, and environmental benefits

3. Gain insight into challenges and successes related to remediation, design, construction, and operations

4. Participate in Q&A discussion with the lead architect and other team members about the project and current operations

Meet the Speaker

John Masano, Masano Auto Park

As a driving force within Masano Auto Group, John Masano led the transformation of the former Baldwin Brass factory into Masano Auto Park, a 30-acre, 250,000-square-foot automotive destination. His vision combined innovation, sustainability, and community impact, creating a space that goes beyond a dealership. From the AutoTorium – a 150-car showroom – to eco-friendly practices like waste oil heating and aquaponics, John’s leadership has positioned Masano Auto Park as a model of progress and adaptive reuse. 

Megan Masano, Masano Auto Park

Champion of Customer Experience and Community Engagement, Megan Masano brings a passion for hospitality and operational excellence to Masano Auto Group. Her leadership ensures that Masano Auto Park delivers an exceptional experience for every visitor. Megan has been instrumental in integrating sustainability and customer-focused initiatives into the facility, making it a welcoming environment where innovation meets service. Her commitment to community engagement reinforces Masano Auto Group’s mission to serve Reading with integrity and forward-thinking solutions. 

More About Resilient Reading

Resilient Reading is part of GBA’s broader mission to create communities where every person can thrive and is made possible with support from the Met-Ed/Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund. Through education, collaboration, and innovation, we empower local leaders to transform the built environment and address climate change, human health, and social equity. 

Resilient Reading events bring topics to the community designed to educate, inspire, and provide examples of building energy efficiency projects, how to increase resilience against extreme weather events, financing opportunities for building upgrades, and more. 

To learn more, contact us at info@gba.org.