Certification validates efforts to build sustainable community
FORT WORTH, Texas (January 10, 2012) — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has recognized Hillwood’s Alliance Town Center with its LEED® for Neighborhood Development certification. The prestigious designation is one of the most difficult sustainable development certifications to obtain, with Alliance Town Center ranked as one of only two such projects in the State of Texas and as one of the largest in the nation, out of 80 total projects in the United States. The announcement of the certification represents the culmination of Hillwood’s ongoing efforts to build and develop a sustainable community in north Fort Worth.
Alliance Town Center is located along Interstate 35W and stretches from North Tarrant Parkway to Golden Triangle Boulevard. The LEED certification area includes 155 acres located south of Heritage Trace Parkway and west of North Riverside Drive, master-planned for a mix of residential and commercial uses.
LEED for Neighborhood Development recognizes exemplary development projects that successfully protect and enhance the overall health, natural environment and quality of life in communities. The rating system encourages smart growth practices by promoting the location and design of neighborhoods that reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and creating developments where jobs and services are well integrated with residential. It also promotes an array of green building and green infrastructure practices, particularly more efficient energy and water use – especially important in urban areas where infrastructure is often overtaxed.
“In addition to being one of the leading retail destinations in North Texas, Alliance Town Center is one of the most carefully designed and developed master-planned projects in Texas,” said Mike Berry, president of Hillwood Properties – developer of AllianceTexas. “We are proud to receive this certification and to be recognized for the strategic focus we bring to building high quality, sustainable programs in all of our developments.”
Hillwood Properties has incorporated environmentally friendly aspects throughout the 17,000-acre AllianceTexas project since its inception in the late 1980s. Features and processes have included the utilization of white roofs on industrial buildings to reflect heat, skylights and other daylighting options, extensive native landscaping, groundwater management systems, storm water detention ponds, updated irrigation systems, the use of recycled materials for construction, construction waste recycling, energy efficient HVAC systems, and the use of construction materials from local sources to reduce transportation costs. In addition, more than 36,000 trees have been planted within the development.
One of the key features of the Alliance Town Center development is its proximity to Hillwood’s existing residential communities of Heritage, Park Glen and Monterra Village, which have connecting walking and bike trails interspersed throughout. Within the development and connecting trails, Hillwood has taken special consideration to enhance the natural landscape, which also provides numerous sustainable design advantages, as well as a key amenity for the community.
Compared to other commercial and residential LEED rating systems, LEED for Neighborhood Development differs because it has three stages of certification that relate to the actual phases of the real estate development process:
• Stage 1 – Conditionally Approved Plan. This stage provides the conditional approval of a LEED for Neighborhood Development plan available for projects before they have completed the entitlements, or public review, process. This stage is designed to help projects obtain support from local government and the community.
• Stage 2 – Pre-Certified Plan. This stage pre-certifies a LEED for Neighborhood Development plan and is applicable for fully entitled projects or projects under construction. Completing this review can help projects secure financing, expedite permits or attract tenants.
• Stage 3 – Certified Neighborhood Development. At this stage, completed projects formally apply for LEED certification to recognize that the project has achieved all the prerequisites and credits attempted.
In addition, all projects are rated in the following five credit categories:
• Smart Location and Linkage encourages communities to consider location, transportation alternatives and preservation of sensitive lands while also discouraging sprawl.
• Neighborhood Pattern and Design emphasizes vibrant, equitable communities that are healthy, walkable and mixed-use.
• Green Infrastructure and Buildings promotes the design and construction of buildings and infrastructure that reduces energy and water use, while promoting more sustainable use of materials, reuse of existing and historic structures, and other sustainable best practices.
• Innovation and Design Process recognizes exemplary and innovative performance reaching beyond the existing credits in the rating system, as well as the value of including an accredited professional on the design team.
• Regional Priority Credit encourages projects to focus on earning credits of significance to the project’s local environment.
ABOUT ALLIANCE TOWN CENTER
Alliance Town Center (http://www.alliancetowncenter.com/) is located in north Fort Worth and stretches from North Tarrant Parkway to Golden Triangle Boulevard. Best known for its retail center, a joint venture with Trademark Property Company, Alliance Town Center is home to some of the country’s leading brands, including JCPenney, Kroger Marketplace, Rooms to Go, BJ’s Brewhouse, Mi Cocina, Best Buy, Cinemark, Sam Moon and Belk, among others. Alliance Town Center is also home to growing medical services, including ER at Alliance and Texas Health Resources Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance, as well as a multi-family component with Monterra Village (http://www.monterrabyhillwood.com/).
ABOUT ALLIANCETEXAS
AllianceTexas (http://www.alliancetexas.com/) is a 17,000-acre, master-planned community anchored by the world’s first industrial airport. It includes Alliance, Circle T Ranch, Heritage, Alliance Town Center, Lone Star Crossing, Saratoga and Monterra Village projects, among others. AllianceTexas is now home to 265 companies, which have built nearly 32 million square feet and created more than 30,000 jobs. The community also now includes more than 7,600 single-family homes and 288 luxury apartment homes.
ABOUT HILLWOOD
Hillwood, a Perot company, is ranked as one of the top commercial real estate investors and developers in the country and as the top residential developer in Dallas-Fort Worth. The company’s developments currently house facilities for nearly 60 companies listed on the Fortune 500, Global 500 or Forbes List of Top Private firms. Hillwood is best known for its Alliance brand that includes the 17,000-acre AllianceTexas, 4,474-acre AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center and 2,000-acre AllianceCalifornia developments. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.hillwood.com/.
ABOUT U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL
The U.S. Green Building Council (JSGBC) is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC administers the LEED green building certification program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For additional information about the organization, please visit: http://www.usgbc.org/.
# # #