Ford received the prestigious award for excellence in brownfield development.
The Phoenix Award, which acknowledges individuals and groups for stimulating economic growth through the development of environmentally challenged sites, was presented to Ford Motor Company for its transformation of the Allen Park Clay Mine Landfill into Fairlane Green, a green and sustainable retail and recreational center.
Of Fairlane Green’s 243-acres, nearly two-thirds are natural green space, including ponds, trails, prairie fields and room for a future park. To stimulate economic growth, Ford Land - the company’s real estate arm - developed an environmentally friendly retail center, certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. The first project phase of nearly 400,000 square feet of shops and restaurants is the first multi-tenant retail development to earn gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
The largest retail development built on a landfill and the largest landfill redevelopment in the state of Michigan, Ford has installed many green features to facilitate the success of the initiative:
- All heating and cooling equipment is CFC-free.
- Plumbing fixtures are water-efficient and a cistern captures and re-uses rain water.
- White reflective roofing helps to conserve energy.
- Locally sourced and low-emitting building materials were used.
- Native plants that require less irrigation were incorporated into the landscape.
- Rock gardens and landscaped swales have been created to cleanse and slow the flow of stormwater.
- Paved trails meander through mature woods and around ponds.
Tags: brownfield development, Fairlane Green, Ford Land, Ford strategy, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ce, Phoenix Award
