The Shops of Grand River outlet mall wins environmental gold

The $127 million Shops of Grand River outlet mall in Leeds has yet to make its first sale, but it has already earned gold.

Audubon International has certified the development as the state's first Gold Signature Sanctuary, meaning the development has adhered to a strict set of criteria and goals from planning through the completion of construction. The project will have to file documentation annually to retain its certification.

Audubon International, which is not affiliated with the National Audubon Society, certified the development on Oct. 5. Officials with developer Daniel Corp. plan to unveil a plaque recognizing the achievement at the retail center's grand opening Thursday.

"This development has not only done the things necessary to meet Audubon International's Gold Signature Sanctuary criteria, but it has incorporated a number of other green initiatives throughout the project," said John Knutsson, the vice president of development at Daniel who has worked closely with Audubon International.

Kevin Fletcher, executive director of Audubon International, said the ecology and the economy of this state make it the ideal candidate for programs like Signature Sanctuary.

"Alabama is one of the most biologically diverse states in our country. Yet, the economic hope of development is critical to helping the overall economy," he said. "Audubon International's Signature Program is designed to help design build and manage new developments with land water wildlife and other vital resources in mind."

Fletcher noted that not many developments opt for the more stringent Gold certification.

"Grand River is one of only a handful of new developments around the world that have met our organization's highest standards for developments," he said. "Certified as Audubon International Gold Signature Sanctuary means the project is being developed and managed with nature as a partner."

The development's location near the banks of the Cahaba River made adapting such standards a necessity, according to Beth Stewart, executive director of the Cahaba River Society.

"The river comes within 200 feet of where the grading was done in some places for this project," she said. "It was vitally important for them to have great armor for the site. They kindly allowed the Society to work with them before construction to learn about their sediment and erosion control plans. They listened and accepted many of our recommendations. During the project we went on site on several occasions at critical points during the development to look at how their sediment and erosion control practices were working."

Stewart said she was pleased at the effort by the developers and construction crews to ensure that only clean water from the site made its way to the Cahaba -- a task that required some trial and error and out-of-the-box thinking with the clay and sediment ponds on the site.

"They came up with a new method we had never seen before" using a long trench as a natural path filtration system that cleaned the water to a clear state, Stewart said. "We were really impressed at what they achieved. No development is perfect and construction is a messy project. But in terms of their level of effort and what they achieved, we were deeply impressed."

She said the work of Audubon International on the projects was visible, particularly when it comes to environmental education throughout the process.

Stewart said the developers used an Audubon program to educate all of the contractors on the site on storm water protection, even going so far as to provide a manual for the head of crews and a water-proof, pocket-sized version in English and Spanish for workers.

"We would love to see this replicated with other major construction projects," she said.

Stewart said the developers had a tight timetable to complete the outlet mall in time for the upcoming holiday shopping season. Because of that, the developers could not afford work stoppages or permitting issues from regulators, making it a smart business move to undergo the extra measures.

But she said it did not appear Daniel and its partners on the project were doing it for show.

During the summer, more than a dozen officials from the project went with Society members on a canoe trip down the Cahaba River and passed by the construction site.

"We could hear the machines, though you couldn't see them," Stewart said. "I think they felt pleased and proud the work they had done had paid off for the river."

Stewart said she would like to see the developers maximize their access to the river by turning the area by the Cahaba into a greenway with pedestrian trails linked to the nearby Ruffner Mountain Nature Center. The Shops of Grand River could even add bicycle rentals or rent canoes or inner tubes for those wanting to experience the Cahaba River directly.

"When your development is named for the river, a very real direct linkage can be made," she said.

SOURCE: Michael Tomberlin -- The Birmingham News