Politics & Government

Federal Realty Wins Township Environmental Award

The Bala Cynwyd Shopping Center owners won a Go For The Green award for commercial site greening.

Federal Realty Investment Trust, the owners of Bala Cynwyd Shopping Center and Wynnewood Shopping Center, is one of several winners of Lower Merion Township Environmental Advisory Council's 2013 Go For The Green Awards.

The annual awards recognize individuals, organizations and businesses that have worked to make environmental improvements.

Federal Realty won in the category of Commercial Site Greening for the large rain gardens added at the Bala Cynwyd Shopping Center.

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In a press release, the township explained:

As a part of the redevelopment of the parking lot between the existing Lord & Taylor building and City Avenue, several environmentally sensitive measures were installed in an area that had only asphalt, with no stormwater management.

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Federal Realty installed two large underground detention basins to capture stormwater runoff, and added two large rain gardens within the parking lot to increase infiltration of runoff and filter pollutants.

The rain garden plantings add to the aesthetics and the biodiversity of the lot, decreased the overall impervious surface of the site, and increased the number of perennials, shrubs and shade trees.

Also nominated for the commercial award was:

  • Millstone Gardens of Newtown Square for installing a rain garden at a home in Wynnewood
  • Casaccio Yu Architects of Havertown for the LEED Silver design for Bala Cynwyd Shopping Center's Bryn Mawr Trust building
  • West Laurel Hill Cemetery for their "earth-friendly burial and funeral services," which include burials with biodegradable or environmentally-friendly urns or caskets

Read more about the awards here.

Do you agree that Federal Realty deserved this award? Tell us in the comments.


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