Sustainable Land Development Today - March 2008 - (Page 19) The Crossings Retail Summary The Crossings was developed by Castle & Cook. At 1.2 million square feet, The Crossings is a state-of-the-industry retail and entertainment center in Corona, Calif., a rapidly growing community of 138,000 in Riverside County. The development features many quality retailers including Kohl’s Department Store, Target, Cost Plus, Barnes & Nobles, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sportsmart, Michaels Arts & Crafts, Best Buy, and an 18-screen Edwards Cinema, Chili’s Grill & Bar, Macaroni Grill, and On The Border. The Crossings is estimated to employ 2,000-3,000 people and generate an estimated annual taxable sales base of $300 million. The total project costs are approximately $100 million. The center has proven to be very successful and is now nearly 100 percent leased. It is the newest and largest retail center to open in Riverside County, which has been one of the nation’s fastest growing areas during the last five years. “There are four ingredients necessary for a successful retail center: a great location, a strong marketplace, a selection of successful retail tenants, and the support of the surrounding community,” says Bruce Freeman, president of Castle & Cooke in California. “We are thrilled with the support we have experienced from the city, community leaders and residents, and we look forward to becoming an increasingly vital part of this dynamic area.” An important part of any sustainable landscape architecture program is educating maintenance personnel. Sustainability will only succeed when education and operation go hand-in-hand to accomplish the goals associated with conserving water in the design and maintenance of landscape. There were other challenges too. When dealing with the ecologically sensitive areas that were part of the project site, NUVIS had to address a number of issues including suitability analysis, existing material avoidance/protection, restoration/enhancement, and edge transition/buffering. Numerous innovative mitigation measures had to be incorporated into the landscape architecture plan. The St. Joseph Wash, which is adjacent to the retail center site, had to be restored because of its designation as an environmentally sensitive area. NUVIS was also responsible for relocating 15 highly prized oak trees that were on the site, some of which were hundreds of years old. This was no easy task. One of the oaks was so large that two 18-wheel truck beds had to be welded together to haul it across the site. But it was important to save the oaks despite the difficulties and cost of removing and relocating them. “We all believed it was well worth the effort, and these beautiful trees have established a mature landscape character for the entire retail center,” says Sampson. Once the basic project infrastructure was in place, the oaks were planted at strategic locations on site. Two huge oaks were placed at the entrances of the center, while others were planted at key intersections and throughout the site to maintain the landscaping theme. Oaks are rarely used for this type of development, so this was a real test but a successful one. A large number of Crepe Myrtle trees also populate The Crossings site, joining with the stately oaks to provide substan- tial shade during those warm summer months that are typical for this region. Elegant Chrysler Imperial Roses are Circle 142 • or www.SLDTonline.com/webcard www.SLDTonline.com 19 http://www.env21.com http://www.env21.com http://www.SLDTonline.com/webcard http://www.SLDTonline.com
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