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Contact: Marion Galant,
Manager, Community
Involvement Program
Hazardous Materials
and Waste Management Division
(303) 692-3304
For Immediate Release Wednesday, October 20, 2002
LAKEWOOD’S BELMAR DEVELOPMENT RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD
DENVER—Denver-based Continuum Partners and the City of
Lakewood have received the internationally recognized Phoenix Award for
their work cleaning up and redeveloping the former Villa Italia Mall in
Lakewood into a new downtown district now known as Belmar.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced
the award at its recent Brownfields Conference in St. Louis, Missouri.
Phoenix awards are presented annually to recipients from each of EPA’s 10
regions. Projects are judged on the magnitude of the project; use of
innovative techniques; cooperative efforts of multiple parties; positive
impacts on the environment; and the project’s general and long-term
environmental and economic impact.
In addition to Continuum Partners and the City of Lakewood,
EPA also recognized two contractors for the cleanup – Arcadis G&M Inc. and
Roy F. Weston Inc., for their role in improving the West Alameda Avenue
corridor and for increasing surrounding property values.
When completed in 2007, the 105-acre, $750 million Belmar
project will consist of about one million square feet of retail space and
one million square feet of office space, including a major conference and
event center; a 250-room hotel; and four acres of public and open space.
Also included in the project are 1,300 new residences providing a variety
of housing choices. The entire project is expected to generate more than
7,000 jobs.
Steve Burkholder, the Lakewood mayor said, “This is an
excellent example of a public-private partnership, and we are proud to
serve as a national example of how to recreate a city-core into a
cutting-edge development that is full of shopping, entertainment, dining
and community activities.”
Tom Gougeon, Continuum’s project manager for Belmar, said,
“At the Belmar site, Continuum Partners has implemented our philosophy of
responsible management of resources through design, by taking a
comprehensive approach in using the latest in energy-efficient technology.”
Douglas H. Benevento, the executive director of the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said, “The criteria
for the Phoenix Award are certainly exemplified in the Belmar project,
which is transforming the former Villa Italia Mall from an outdated
suburban commercial site and returning it to a productive use. I join the
environmental community in congratulating Continuum Partners; the City of
Lakewood; and the cleanup engineers for this well-deserved recognition from
EPA.”
Benevento noted that Continuum Partners and their
collaborators at the site chose to participate in the Voluntary Cleanup
Program encouraged by the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment.
The Voluntary Cleanup Program is used by owners and
developers of contaminated land, commonly known as brownfields, to certify
that the property has been cleaned up to appropriate risk-based levels.
The former Villa Italia Mall site had contamination from dry cleaning and
automotive facilities. In 2000, Continuum Partners received a $1.9 million
loan from the Colorado Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund to clean up the
underground chemical plumes left behind by the former Villa Italia
businesses. The Department of Public Health and Environment’s Hazardous
Materials and Waste Management Division administers the loan fund.
“The national recognition that comes along with the Phoenix
Award will showcase the energy- efficient innovations incorporated into the
plans for Belmar and, hopefully, will serve as a model for other mixed-use
developments in Colorado,” said Benevento.
This approach includes:
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Transplanting 150 mature trees from the original mall
site to a temporary nursery and then back into streets and public spaces
within the Belmar development.
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Recycling more than 85 percent of the mall materials;
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Constructing “green” or environmentally friendly
buildings;
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Using wind turbines to power parking lot light and to
generate excess electricity for the grid.
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Installing solar parking kiosks.
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Custom designing outdoor lighting to reduce light
pollution.
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Featuring a pedestrian and transit-friendly design.
Green buildings meet industry criteria and include
features, such as recycled steel; carpeting made from recycled products;
wood from renewable sources; and low-water toilets. The phase-one office
building at Belmar has an innovative evaporative cooling system designed to
constantly circulate fresh air up from the floors, resulting in significant
energy savings.
Gougeon said that Continuum considers the company to be a
long-term owner and believes these investments contribute to the long-term
value of the Belmar project.
Phase One of the construction project is well underway,
with 45 stores; some office space; and a 16-screen movie theater, which
opened in May 2004. It is predicted to generate tax revenues comparable to
what Villa Italia was collecting when it closed. When completed, Belmar is
expected to generate a substantial increase in revenues for involved taxing
entities, Gougeon said.
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