Oakland Park, Atlanta’s first multi-family housing project to receive LEED certification, was recently named a finalist in the Atlanta district council of the Urban Land Institute's 2008 Development of Excellence awards competition. Development of Excellence awards are given to projects that are exceptional examples of good development. Winners will be announced at the Urban Land Institute’s annual awards banquet held at the Georgia Aquarium on September 18, 2008. Oakland Park is a 65-unit condominium building along the Memorial Drive revitalization district in Atlanta.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Smart Growth Network, there is a growing concern that the development trend of sprawl is not in the long-term interest of communities. Smart growth invests time, attention and resources in restoring community and vitality to abandoned center cities and older suburbs. Smart growth is also town-centered, transit and pedestrian oriented and has a mix of land uses and preserves open space and many other environmental amenities. Oakland Park is a perfect example of smart growth.

Oakland Park is an urban infill, mixed-use residential and commercial project that has become a catalyst for change within the neighborhood, providing opportunities for new businesses and a place for residential and retail to come together in a convenient, self-contained urban setting close to the amenities that downtown Atlanta and the surrounding neighborhood offer.

“We are extremely honored to be named a finalist in the 2008 ULI Atlanta Development of Excellence awards competition,” said Simon Tuohy Financial Officer and Development Associate for Urban Realty Partners. “To be recognized among the best in Atlanta development is a huge accomplishment and is a great reward for all of the hard work and planning that has gone into Oakland Park.”

Achieving LEED certification means that a third party has examined Oakland Park and its design, construction and potential for energy efficiency, and verified the developers made sound decisions that resulted in a more efficient construction site, with very little waste going to the landfill, and in a high performance building that will use less energy over time. In fact, 1,500 tons (or 80 percent) of the waste generated during construction was diverted from landfills and recycled.

The six-story Oakland Park building is remarkable because of the “forever views” of the Atlanta skyline that can be seen across Oakland Cemetery, and because of the care taken by developers to create an environmentally friendly building. The developers, Melaver, Inc. and Urban Realty Partners, made sound decisions that resulted in a more efficient construction site, with very little waste going to the landfill, and in a high performance building that will use less energy over time. Bamboo floors, oversized, operable, low-emittance windows, eco-friendly tile and paint, high-performance plumbing fixtures and energy efficient appliances are the interior hallmarks of Oakland Park, which features 65 one and two bedroom residences and 6,400 square feet of street-front retail.

Oakland Park includes Foxgloves and Ivy floral design studio, Stella Neighborhood Trattoria restaurant, and will include additional retail fronting Memorial Drive and Park Avenue. For more information, call 404-688-0300 or visit www.oaklandparkatlanta.com.

About Melaver, Inc.
Melaver, Inc., is a third generation, sustainably-focused real estate firm with holdings throughout the Southeast. Notable projects include one of the first Silver LEED designations from the U.S. Green Building Council for an historic preservation project in Savannah (The Whitaker Building), as well as the nation’s first all retail LEED Core & Shell project (Abercorn Common Shopping Center) in Savannah that includes the first and only LEED McDonald’s. Eighty-five percent of Melaver’s staff is LEED accredited professionals, and the company is committed to examining the environmental, financial and social aspects of every project in which it is involved.

About Urban Realty Partners
Urban Realty Partners is an Atlanta-based real estate development organization that is focused on well planned, mixed-use urban developments that enhance their neighborhoods while providing exceptional places to live, work and shop. Their developments are often in revitalized neighborhoods with pedestrian orientation and convenience to city transit, amenities and educational, retail and cultural centers. Projects include Capitol Gateway and The Reynolds in midtown Atlanta, The Brookwood in Buckhead and Puritan Mill on Atlanta’s west side.