Furthermore, the buildings on the site feature the latest in green design and construction. Fairlane Green Phase I is the first multi-tenant retail development to earn gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Environmental characteristics include high efficiency, CFC-free heating and cooling equipment, white reflective roofing, low-emitting materials, water-efficient plumbing fixtures, recycled and locally sourced building materials, windows and skylights, and a cistern to capture and re-use rain water.

More visible examples of the site's environmental mission include large prairie fields and extensive native landscaping in parking lots, entryways, along store fronts and up the sides of buildings. Native plants require less irrigation and fertilizer while providing wildlife habitat. Additionally, rock gardens and landscaped swales cleanse and slow the flow of stormwater, which is captured in several large ponds.

Fairlane Green's wide paved trails wind through prairies, along the ponds and through the mature woods bordering the site. Plans for the 43-acre park are underway and may include sledding, playscapes and nature study.

• Fairlane Green features a number of innovative firsts that set it apart from traditional retail and brownfield developments including:

• It is the country's largest retail development built on a landfill and the largest landfill redevelopment in the state of Michigan.

• It is the first development in Michigan to use a three-dimensional legal description to separate the landfill from the surface development. This allows Ford to retain landfill ownership and responsibility while selling the surface to owners and developers.

• In 2002, it received what was at the time the largest Tax Increment Financing (TIF) package ever offered by the state. The TIF covers brownfield-related development costs – measures to reduce settlement, protect the landfill cap, reinforce slopes and construct utilities.

• Fairlane Green is one of the first vertical construction projects built on Styrofoam-like blocks called geofoam. Traditionally used in bridge construction, geofoam's light weight reduces the potential for future settlement.