Corona, Calif. — The Crossings at Corona, one of California's largest retail centers incorporating sustainable landscape architecture, recently had its grand opening. Owned and developed by Castle & Cooke Corona, Inc., the 1.2 million square-foot Crossings at Corona retail and entertainment center in Corona, Calif., occupies a 113-acre site and utilizes green products and practices to promote conservation of natural resources, the developers report.

To develop the comprehensive sustainable program for The Crossings, Castle & Cooke retained the landscape architecture and planning firm of NUVIS, Costa Mesa, Calif. NUVIS was responsible for developing innovative solutions to the environmental concerns that needed to be addressed as part of the sustainable landscape architecture for the project. Some of the landscaping innovations at The Crossings include extensive use of native plant materials, habitat restoration of the adjacent St. Joseph Wash, and the relocation of 15 mature oak trees on the site, according to Leslee A. Temple, FASLA, vice president of NUVIS.

Temple said the landscape architecture plan for The Crossings accomplished several goals, including developing ecological associations, reducing water consumption, utilizing recycled hardscape materials, restoring sensitive habitat areas, and creating serene pathway and garden environments that provide “shade and beauty.”

“With the developer's blessing, we were able to utilize significant sustainable landscape architecture principles,” said Temple. “About 80 percent of the landscaping is native or water-efficient plant material, which will help keep maintenance and irrigation costs down significantly. There aren't many retail centers in the U.S. with this high-level of what we believe is very intelligent landscaping, from both sustainable and esthetic viewpoints.”

“At The Crossings, particular attention was paid to environmental impacts, with the primary goal being to create a healthier environment, reduce operation and maintenance costs, and address issues such as habitat restoration and historic preservation,” said Bill Sampson, senior vice president, Castle & Cooke, Commercial, Inc.

NUVIS was also responsible for relocating 15 highly prized oak trees that were on the site, some of which were hundreds of years old. The center features retailers including Kohl's Department Store, Target, Cost Plus, Best Buy and more. Restaurants include Chili's, Macaroni Grill and On The Border. The center has proven to be very successful and is now 80 percent leased, according to Sampson.