Eagleview, roughly 35 miles west of Philadelphia on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, was initially conceived as a suburban corporate park in the 1980s. Being one turnpike exit west of the nearby Philadelphia suburb, King of Prussia, Eagleview’s location had great potential for development.
As Eagleview evolved from its original form as a corporate center, it was planned as a complete community with a variety of residential, recreational, retail, and civic uses alongside its commercial development, and all these components were unified by a town square. “Eagleview has evolved in that the land was acquired, planned, and developed in several phases,” says Lance Hillegas, vice president of design and sustainable development at The Hankin Group, the site’s developer. “We first developed a corporate park, and then added residential land with a town center concept linking the two.”
The Hankin Group began using the concepts of traditional neighborhood development for the growing residential communities in Eagleview. Smaller lots and townhomes with sidewalks, front porches, alleys, recreational parks and walking trails provided opportunity to increase walkability and rely less on cars. Eagleview, with its various acquisitions, had reached a size of more than 800 acres, allowing for planning concepts on a larger scale.
“It has always been a focus of the company to do the right things for energy conservation and sustainability.”
Lance Hillegas, The Hankin Group
Sustainability and environmental impact are key components to the Hankin Group’s philosophy. The commercial side of Eagleview showcases various LEED-certified projects including 505 Eagleview Boulevard, a 152,000-square-foot LEED Gold office structure that was completed in 2008 and awarded an Energy Star label in 2012, and 707 Eagleview Boulevard received an Energy Star label in 2012.
In the Eagleview Town Center, the Bernard Hankin Building, a low-income age-restricted senior apartment building, was finished in 2012 and achieved LEED for Homes Platinum certification. The town center will have more than 400 condominium and apartment residences, a YMCA, and a number of businesses and restaurants when completed. Right now, the Hankin Group is building a Hilton Garden Inn and a new 72-unit luxury apartment building, which are both pursuing LEED certification.
To complement the Hankin Group’s sustainability efforts and LEED certifications, the company is implementing various solar projects. 505 Eagleview Boulevard, the Bernard Hankin Building, and 707 Eagleview Boulevard all feature rooftop photovoltaic arrays. The firm also has two rooftop solar installations outside Eagleview and a ground-mounted, two-megawatt array in nearby commercial development in Morgantown.
The Hankin Group’s other ongoing sustainability efforts include comprehensive lighting and mechanical systems upgrades, drought-resistant landscaping, porous paving, building with recyclable materials, construction recycling, and much more. The firm aims to expand its longtime commitment to sustainability in Eagleview and beyond. “It has always been a focus of the company to do the right things for energy conservation and sustainability,” Hillegas says.
