The Leader - March/April 2009 - (Page 22) REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT Fairlane Green: A Sustainable Development by Ford Land BY ROGER G. GAUDETTE F ord Land has developed Fairlane Green, a 1 million-sq.ft. (92,903-sq.-m.) green retail destination center built atop a closed company-owned landfill in Allen Park, Mich. A 243-acre (98-hectare) development, Fairlane Green offers something for everyone – shopping, dining and recreation. As Ford Motor Company's Allen Park Clay Mine Landfill reached capacity in the 1990s, Ford Land recognized an opportunity to develop the property into a productive and profitable new development. Instead of allowing the landfill to sit idle into the future, Ford Land recognized an opportunity to transform the brownfield into a marketable asset and return cash to Ford Motor Company. Fairlane Green will return in excess of $30 million in eco- nomic value to the company. In addition, the development is socially and environmentally responsible and a testament to Ford's commitment to sustainability. Fairlane Green is a multi-phase development that will contain 1 million sq. ft. (92,903 sq. m.) of retail space when complete. In all, nearly two-thirds of the site will be natural green space, including a 43-acre (17-hectare) park and 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) of paved trails. Phase I represents 400,000 sq. ft. (37,161 sq. m.) of retail space, in addition to several ponds and trails. Developed in partnership with Archon Group, Phase I was completed in 2006 and features notable anchors and tenants such as Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Barnes & Noble, Michaels, Old Navy and Pier One. Ford Land completed Phase II in 2007 that added another 450,000 sq. ft. (41,806 sq. m.) through the addition of Meijer, The Home Depot, Best Buy and Sportsman's Warehouse. Phase III will add approximately 150,000 sq. ft. (13,935 sq. m.) and Phase IV will add more trails and a 43-acre (17-hectare) park with recreational activities and nature study. History The Fairlane Green site dates back to the early 1900s when it was a clay quarry producing bricks to support Detroit's housing boom. Recognizing the unique geologic conditions of the site, Ford Motor Company purchased the property in the mid 1950s to landfill industrial waste from Ford's Rouge manufacturing complex located just a few miles away. Built in 1917, the Rouge was a 1,000-acre (404-hectare) manufacturing complex 2 0 0 9 T HE LE ADER 22 MARCH / APRIL
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