LEED Silver Core and Shell Certified Tanger Outlets in Deer Park celebrated, receives awards from ICSC

Town of Babylon supervisor Steve Bellone was joined by town officials, representatives from Blumenfeld Development Group, Tanger Outlets and the US Green Building Council - Long Island Chapter to call attention to the success of The Arches center in Deer Park and highlight the groundbreaking environmental achievements that have made its success possible. The Tanger Outlets at The Arches project is the result of a collaborative effort among the town of Babylon, Blumenfeld Development Group and Tanger to create a sustainable development that can serve as a model for regional retail development. It was one of the first retail centers in New York State to obtain LEED Silver Core and Shell Certification from the US Green Building Council. As a result of its groundbreaking sustainable design, Tanger Outlets at The Arches received a Silver design award and the Gold Sustainability Award from the International Conference of Shopping Centers (ICSC). The center has also been a great economic success for the region. The center employs between 1,500 and 2,000 individuals and generates approximately $13.5 million in sales tax revenue. It is home to over 95 national retail outlets, including one of the first Neiman Marcus Last Calls on Long Island. In 2006, the Town of Babylon became the first municipality in the nation to require that all commercial and industrial construction over 4,000 square feet receive LEED certification. There are currently 34 registered or certified LEED projects in the town. In addition, the Town's Wyandanch Rising community development initiative is expected to be the first non-pilot LEED for Neighborhood Development project in the region, and was recently awarded a US Green Building Council Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant. "The Town of Babylon has been a national leader in the green building arena, working closely with the US Green Building Council to encourage sustainable principles," said Supervisor Bellone. "Tanger and BDG have been great partners in putting sustainable principles into practice and as a result, Tanger Outlets at The Arches serves as an excellent model of how to do things right." #####