NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            May 5, 2005

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Steven Leverentz, 608-277-2592

Jeff Schoepke, (608) 258-3400

Jim Pugh, (608) 258-3400

Fitchburg Center Wins Environmental Award

Fitchburg –Fitchburg Center, along with BEST CLEANERS of Madison, Inc., and Kraft Foods Global, Inc.-Madison Oscar Mayer Facility, was one of nine Wisconsin businesses to win the Wisconsin Business Friend of the Environment Awards for outstanding achievements in environmental protection.

“These companies use innovation to go beyond government mandates to keep Wisconsin clean,” said Jeff Schoepke, director of the Wisconsin Environmental Working Group^®, the affiliate of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce which sponsors the annual awards. “They know environmental stewardship is good business and are committed to protecting the environment, their workers and their customers.”

Fitchburg Center won in the environmental innovation category.

The nine winners were chosen from a competitive field of 39 candidates nominated by their peers, and in some cases, the companies themselves.  An independent panel of judges who included representatives from industry, state government, environmental organizations and the University of Wisconsin System selected the winners.

Business Friend of the Environment Award winners are categorized according to number of employees and judged in the areas of pollution prevention, innovative technology and environmental stewardship.

The winners were honored at the 16^th Annual Environmental Policy and Awards Conference at the Marriott Hotel in Waukesha on May 5.

COMMUNITY-FOCUSED DESIGN PROTECTS NATURE

Fitchburg Center is an established mixed-use community integrating business, retail residential and civic opportunities on over 400 acres.  Primarily a real estate and development firm, Fitchburg Center is home to global life-science leader Promega Corporation, technology innovator Berbee Information Networks, Bruker AXS and Locus, Inc.

PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT, ENCOURAGING BUSINESSES

Much of Fitchburg Center’s reputation and distinction comes from its environmentally friendly, community-focused design aimed at protecting nature.

More than 100-acres have been protected throughout the site to safeguard ridges, trail ways, wetlands, woodlands and prairie.  Greenways have been identified and buildings are placed to protect native vegetation and wildlife corridors.  Site-guided development that retains most storm water within its confines allows the development to minimize the use of concrete culverts and other manmade storm water discharge systems.

Fitchburg Center was not always this picture of beauty. In the mid-1980s, when city streets were first built at Fitchburg Center, storm water retention was managed using the standard practice of digging a large basin in the ground.

Because of the size of the development, the basin was more than 5-acres, and included a concrete low-flow channel down its center. The location was not attractive, businesses were not interested in locating near the basin, and it reflected poorly on an area that was to become the center of the city. In addition, water infiltration was minimal because the basin was dominated by shallow-rooted grasses and the existing vegetation did little to clean suspended particles that eventually flowed overland to the Nine Springs wetland area. 

The goal of the project was to transform the infrastructure required for regional storm water management, and through the prairie restoration process, turn it into a beautiful community and attraction.

 The project was massive and took 18 months to implement.   The vision for the project was multi-faceted.  From a civil engineering standpoint, the prairie would effectively serve as an immense rain garden.  From a landscape architecture standpoint, the prairie had to be ecologically diverse, sustainable, and attractive. And, from a business point of view, the project had to pay for itself so that it could be replicated by others without significant subsidy. 

In addition, it had to serve as an attraction and resource for Fitchburg residents, serve as a link to the Nine Springs wetlands and it had to be sustainable.

A HUGE SUCCESS

 

The project was a huge success and achieved all of its objectives.  Today Fitchburg Center is a place that businesses want to locate.

 A significant environmental accomplishment for the Fitchburg Center was the creation of a 7.5 acre prairie as the centerpiece for its Town Center.  Not only does the prairie provide a natural and ever-changing source of beauty, it fulfills a regional storm water retention need that is capable of handling a 100-year rain event.  The Prairie Swale Association, made up of current and future residents, manages and maintains this habitat.  Restoration and environmental education programs for students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and other educational organizations utilize this natural amenity for learning purposes. The swale is financially supported through annual membership dues and the Fitchburg Center 

The Fitchburg Center is a stunning example of how protecting the environment helps grow the economy and jobs.