60/65 development draws international attention

Every year, a European event pulls in environmental experts from around the globe, and this year, a Springfield architect was in the lineup.

The fifth annual Les Respirations, held Nov. 20-21 in suburban Paris, featured speakers from the United Nations, the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - and Geoffrey Butler, CEO of Springfield-based design firm Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc. Butler shared the $400 million earth-friendly plans for 600 acres in southeast Springfield known for now as the Crossroads at 60/65.

Les Respirations takes place at Enghien-les-bains, a city 15 minutes north of Paris.

The event includes seminars, ceremonies and workshops focused on exploring the current state of air and water quality, as well as the building of a sustainable future.

Butler's presentation, "A Sustainable Approach to Development," detailed plans for the mixed-used development northeast of the highways 60 and 65 junction. Landowners, including Rogersville businessman Larry Childress, Killian Group of Cos. owner Bill Killian and Robert Hawkins, are known collectively as the 60/65 Partnership LLC. Commercial real estate agency R.B. Murray Co. represents the owners.

The Crossroads at 60/65 came to the attention of Les Respirations organizers through Killian, owner of Killian Group of Cos., and his relationship with the city of Greensburg, Kan.

Greensburg, in south-central Kansas, made the decision to rebuild after a 2007 tornado, using all sustainable methods, Butler said.

"Every building is built to be (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified silver," he added.

Killian visited Greensburg and met with city and business leaders. He told them about Crossroads, and when the mayor of Greensburg was invited to speak at Les Respirations, he mentioned the Springfield development to event organizers. Early components include Doran Communities' 300 single-family homes, Miller-O'Reilly Co.'s 250 green multifamily units and Foster Hospitality Group's 200 senior housing units.

Killian said the size of the development is probably the reason Crossroads piqued their interest.

"They asked us to present a case study about why we would want to build that large of a sustainable development, what the reasoning was behind it and the challenges behind it," he said.

The plans are built to be community-driven, Killian said, with shopping, living and working opportunities that are environmentally responsible. The project calls for 200 acres to be donated to Springfield for what Killian calls an activity center. There are no set plans for the land, but a continuation of walking trails, community gardens, a library branch, and canoe and kayak rentals on the James River have been discussed, he said.

By year's end, developers hope to launch a Web site to allow people to weigh in on what they'd like to see on the land and vote on the development's name.

Killian was unable to attend the event, so Butler, the project's architect and land planner, presented the case study. With so many speakers on the docket, Butler said his presentation was kept to about 10 minutes. He also distributed a 27-page document that, along with papers submitted by the other speakers, will be bound and distributed to European policymakers, including the President of the National Assembly in France.

Killian and Butler agree that the Springfield development is unlikely to attract many imitators overseas, however.

"France and England just don't have 500-acre parcels of land. They're already built," Butler said. "But it does help them consider other things they're doing."

The Springfield developers said the international interest is more of a global learning experience.

"A lot of people over there were talking about things governments were doing to be more sustainable. I was over there reporting what private enterprise was doing," Butler said.

The presentation was well-received, organizers said.

"(Butler's) presentation was of great interest and his contribution to the conference over all was very influential," said Philippa Lysaght, international communication director for Les Respirations, via e-mail.

Killian expects to provide an update at the sixth annual Les Respirations event, which is not yet scheduled.

"When we talked with the people that put the event together in France, they said they definitely wanted a follow-up and update," he said.[[In-content Ad]]