Belmar is an extraordinary example of the conversion of a dying regional mall (the former Villa Italia) into a true urban downtown district for a suburban community. It is one of the most complete integrations of retail, employment, residential and civic/cultural uses in the country. It is a contemporary place that is rooted in the principles of good urbanism. It incorporates a variety of green building and sustainable design elements. Belmar has provided more than a development solution to what to do with a dying mall or the need for better retail services, housing options and office environments. It has provided a vehicle for creating a much stronger sense of place, community and identity for the City of Lakewood and the entire west side of the Denver metropolitan area. It also serves as a national model both for addressing the challenges of dying regional malls as well as demonstrating the market viability of a number of sustainable development and smart growth principles.
Belmar is dedicated to energy-use reduction and the responsible use of limited natural resources. Here are some of the many ways that Belmar works torwards sustainability.
Solar Power
• 8,300 solar panels on the roof of three parking garages. The 1.75 megawatt array will generate approximately 2.3 million kilowatt hours of clean electrical energy per year. The power output will offset approximately 5% of the total Belmar power consumption. This solar array is one of the largest parking garage rooftops in the U.S.
• Solar powered pay-and-display parking kiosks are used to manage 350 on-street parking spaces.
Building Design
• Belmar used the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) criteria to guide the design and development of many buildings in the project. A three-story mixed use building with office over retail space was the first building of its type in the nation to receive a Silver-level LEED certification.
• The buildings that house Whole Foods, Mile High Wine & Spirits, and two adjacent mixed use buildings and retail spaces have also subsequently received a Silver-level LEED certification.
Urban Wind Farm
• The Belmar district also features a small urban wind farm with 14 turbines powering lighting for a large parking lot. The wind farm has the potential to generate 700-900 kilowatt hours of electric power per month.
Tree program
• Approximately 130 mature trees from the original site were transplanted to a temporary nursery site and replanted in the Belmar district.
Lighting
• All outdoor lighting has been designed in cooperation with the International Dark Skies Association to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and reduce light pollution.
Recycling
• Belmar has worked with Waste Management to implement an expanded single-stream recycling program for all residents as well as office and retail tenants.
• Continuum Partners has also spent in excess of $4 million in cleaning up water and soil contamination on site (PCE, PCBs, hydrocarbons) as well as removing asbestos and hazardous materials from the former buildings prior to demolition and recycling.
• Much of the construction material from the demolition of the original Villa Italia mall structure has been recycled.
• 88% of all materials by weight from the original site have been reused.
• 100%, or in excess of 2 million square feet, of asphalt originally on site was milled into more than 40,000 tons of base material used for temporary roadways and the base under building slabs.
• Over 200,000 tons of concrete from the original mall slab were crushed and reused on site, the weight of which is equivalent to approximately two aircraft carriers.
• All steel, copper and aluminum was taken to recycling centers.
• Glass, doors, windows and light fixtures have been reused in Continuum’s downtown headquarters office as well as the on-site sales and leasing office at Belmar.
Pedestrian and Transit Orientation
• The project has been designed to reduce automobile reliance and to promote pedestrian and transit activity.
• There are multiple regional bus routes that circulate through the site with multiple stops (previously no routes penetrated the 104 acre site).
Housing
• All on-site housing has been built with high quality, sustainable materials and energy conservation technology, ensuring high levels of energy efficiency and green building.
• The McStain town homes were built to exceed Energy Star standards.
• The Harvard Courtyard Homes were built to conform to the requirements of the Environments for Living program.
This question is in many of our thoughts throughout the day. By doing simple changes each day we can all make a difference. Sustainable style is the way of the future. Here are ten tips to help you strive towards that sustainable style of life.
1. Drive less, walk more: Cut down on fuel usage. Walk to the places instead of taking your car that are close by. Think about carpooling or taking public transportation, such the buses or light-rail. The less fumes in the air the better it is for all of us.
2. Re-use, re-use, re-use: Re-use the plastic or paper bags you get every time you shop. They are good for more than one trip. Even better than re-using them, buy a "bag for life" and use that every time you shop. Composition and Whole Foods have a great assortment from which to choose.
3. Re-cycle: Do you have a recycling collection service? If not, look for a local recycling places and drop off your bottles, newspapers, cans, etc next time you are in the neighborhood or make a date each week or month for this job. No special trips though. For bigger items, if they're still usable, check out http://www.freecycle.org/ for a group near you.
4. Love your local farmers: Local produce is the best. Especially if it's bought fresh from a farmer's market or at Whole Foods Market. The big difference is in the taste. No super-sizing here. Buy what you need. It it probably won't cost much more and it will stay fresh.
5. Turn it off: Turn off unused appliances off at the socket. When in standby mode, they still use energy. You will find that you have cut your fuel bills by turning off radios, computer monitor, televisions, and other items when they're not in use.
6. Keep it coo!: Wash your clothes at a lower temperature. Modern detergents work just fine at the colder temperatures.
7. Turn it down: Turn down your thermostat in the colder winter months and turn up the a/c in the summer. A few degrees will not make a big difference.
8. Recycle household items: Give away your old clothes as a donation to places like Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Use rechargeable batteries. Organize a neighborhood yard sale to get rid of things you no longer want or need.
9. Water is so important: Invest in a water-saving showerhead. Take shorter baths or showers. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth.
10. Love nature: Treat our animal and bird neighbors with care. Make a bird feeder out of recyclable products, such as a milk carton. Feed the birds and help the environment at the same time!
