Regency Centers Awarded 2015 EPA Region 4 Rain Catcher Award

For two consecutive years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized excellence in the implementation of stormwater green infrastructures with its Rain Catcher Award. This month, Regency Centers was presented with a 2015 Region 4 Rain Catcher Award in the Commercial Category for its Market at Colonnades center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Chris Widmayer, Regency's VP of Investments, oversaw the development of this project and received the award on behalf of Regency.

We are honored to be the recipients of this prestigious award given by the EPA. In the early stages of planning, Regency identified environmental sustainability and clean water as a cornerstone of our rezoning effort. We wanted to demonstrate that low-impact development and sustainability are achievable even on intensely developed in-fill commercial properties. The result was the development of an Innovative Stormwater Management System (ISMP), which negated the need for large-scale conventional surface Best Management Practices. Colonnade’s ISMP was the first of its kind in North Carolina, and is now widely used as a model for environmentally sustainable developments throughout the state. We are proud of our accomplishments at the Market at Colonnade.

Below is the media announcement released by the EPA describing the project and award in more detail.

ATLANTA – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized Regency Centers with the regional 2015 EPA Rain Catcher Award in the Commercial Category for the Market at Colonnade project in Raleigh, N.C. The award was given at a ceremony during the EPA Region 4/International Erosion Control Association Municipal Wet Weather Stormwater Conference, in Atlanta, Ga.

Three rainwater harvesting cisterns sit to the right of Whole Foods Market entrance with a combined capacity of 43,000 gallons.

The vision for the Market at Colonnade project was to demonstrate that low-impact development and sustainability are achievable even on intensely developed in-fill commercial properties with clay soils. The project combines the use of above and below ground cisterns, subsurface infiltration, bioretention, and surface irrigation to harvest, reuse, and treat the development’s stormwater. The combined best management practices allow the development to capture nearly 100 percent of the total nitrogen and total suspended solids from the first one inch of rainfall and substantially reduces peak stormwater discharges.

The EPA Region 4 Rain Catcher Award recognizes excellence in the implementation of stormwater green infrastructure practices. Green infrastructure uses natural systems and/or engineered systems designed to mimic natural processes to more effectively manage urban stormwater and reduce receiving water impacts. EPA and its partner organizations have promoted the use of green infrastructure for many years as part of a comprehensive approach to achieving healthier waters. Green infrastructure reduces the volume of stormwater discharges by managing rainwater close to where it falls and removes many of the pollutants present in runoff, making it an effective strategy for addressing wet weather pollution and improving water quality.

Additional information on Regency Center’s stormwater project can be found here.

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