Air Quality
An April 1998 study performed by the EPA's Urban and Economic Development Division, entitled "Transportation and Environmental Impacts of Infill and Greenfield Development", found that VMT could be reduced by as much as 61 percent by developing at infill sites compared to outlying greenfieids. Based on this and other analyses, the EPA evaluated the potential performance of the Atlantic Steel site relative to three other likely locations and evaluated the potential for carbon monoxide (CO) emission hot spots associated with development at the Atlantic Steel site. To analyze the transportation and air emissions impact of the project, the EPA used the Atlanta regional transportation and MOBILES emissions models to compare development at the Atlantic Steel site to similar development at outlying greenfields. Analysis of regional transportation and air emissions impacts show that absorbing a larger portion of Atlanta's future growth at the Atlantic Steel site would result in up to 34 percent fewer VMT and up to 45 percent fewer NO emissions than if the growth were to occur at likely alternative sites. Analysis of potential CO emissions indicated that CO hot spots would not occur.
Green Building
At Atlantic Station, we are committed to providing a national model for "green" building design and construction. Our goal is to build 100% of all commercial buildings at Atlantic Station in conformity to the high standards of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system. Proof positive is the completion of 171 17th Street, a 500,000 sq. ft. Class-A office tower, making it the first LEED certified high rise office tower in the Southeast. What is the U.S.G.B.C.? The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation's foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work.
Land
The Atlantic Station project is a 138-acre environmental redevelopment and reclamation of the former Atlantic Steel Mill in Midtown Atlanta. In 1997, Jacoby Development initiated plans to redevelop the Atlantic Steel Mill- creating the largest urban brownfield redevelopment in the country. The restoration of the site necessitated the remediation of soil contaminated by years of industrial use. Approximately $10 million was spent to remediate the Atlantic Station property with over 12,000 truckloads of material removed from the site. The remediation of the soil at Atlantic Station was completed in December of 2001 when the development received a "No Further Action" letter from the EPD.
Smart Growth
Atlantic Station is implementing strategies to prevent and minimize pollution by using construction materials and sustainable building practices that minimize pollution and energy use. In a significant deal, Southern Company Energy Solutions, a business unit of Southern Co., and Atlantic Station have partnered to develop the Southeast's largest, most environmentally friendly central cooling system. The fully built-out plant, jointly engineered, will save building owners more than $35 million in construction costs, while operating more than 25% more efficiently than traditional building HVAC systems–producing emissions savings equaling 2 million gallons of gasoline.
