| Developers break ground for 'macro green' business park in I.C. |
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west of North Dodge Street and north of Interstate 80.
Moss Green Urban Village will be a 170-acre sustainable development where office buildings, shops and housing converge with trees, creeks, trails and recreational areas. It will be constructed on the former Moss Dairy Farm, according to Wally Pelds, principal with Eco4 Partners of Des Moines, which is consulting with Moss Green Development Corp. on the project. 'It's almost like creating a small community,' Pelds said. 'We plan to use comprehensive green construction, renewable energy techniques and green infrastructure to ensure environmental protection and growth remains a top priority.' Pelds, also an engineer with A. Leo Pelds Engineering in Des Moines, said saving money through renewable energy will be a major priority. He said buildings constructed in the park will use 60 percent less heating and cooling per square foot than conventional office buildings. Environmental features will include green roofs, photo voltaic site lighting, recycled concrete and asphalt products, reintroduction of native plantings and a mass geothermal heating and cooling system. Pelds said storm water management will include rain gardens, bio-swales, underground bio-retention cells, harvesting rainwater for reuse, porous concrete and asphalt, and capturing air conditioning condensation for later use. Construction of the first building is probably a year away, he said. 'If we were to sign someone up today, it would take six months to design their building,' Pelds said. 'We would start building the public infrastructure as soon as possible.' Daniel Pettit, principal with ECO-4 Partners, said the company and Moss Green Development Corp. will work with the City of Iowa City and Johnson County to construct the initial 0.75 miles of an Oakdale Boulevard extension and the road leading into the development. Pelds said financing for the project will likely come from federal taxfree bond financing and tax increment financing.
Developers will pay for the installation of roads, utility and sanitary sewer for the project and receive reimbursement from the city as property taxes are assessed on each building in the development, he said.
'We need a company that will come in, look at this project and understand the way we put it together,' Pelds said. 'The day that they start construction, there won't be a road, but there will be a road and other infrastructure by the time their building is finished.' Developers have been talking with prospective tenants, but no agreements have been signed, Pelds said. Kiewit Building Group of Omaha, which uses biodiesel fuel in its construction vehicles, will be the general contractor. |
