Land Use & Site Ecology
Narrative:
Full Goods is part of the Pearl Brewery redevelopment project, which remediated a 26-acre abandoned industrial brownfield site and transformed it into a vibrant, mixed-use development. The design team brought much-needed density to the downtown site by adding a second-story mezzanine to the existing one-story structure.
The Pearl Brewery has been designed to interface with the River North Plan. Pearl is the north anchor to the plan and acts as the terminus of the San Antonio Riverwalk Extension. To better connect the Pearl with the city around it, the developer contributed land to the city to create a 300 by 80 foot lake with restored wetlands that serve as the backdrop for the outdoor Pearl Amphitheater stage.
Other site solutions include:
• Parking lots and landscape designed to eliminate site run-off;
• Bioswales, catch basins, and permeable pavers improve water quality, protecting the river; and
• Exclusively native landscaping elements to create a shady, pedestrian-friendly experience.
Ninety-nine percent impervious paving and only five trees covered the site at the time of the purchase in 2001. Since then, 240 large shade trees and 213 smaller understory trees, as well as numerous other native, drought-tolerant grasses and understory species, have been planted.
source: http://www.aiatopten.org