The Lakes at Green Valley is a 570-acre site-ready industrial park development located in unincorporated Spalding County, approximately three miles from the eastern city limits of Griffin, and seven miles west of Interstate 75. The Griffin-Spalding Development Authority (GSDA) worked with the Center for Economic Development Research (CEDR) to differentiate industrial development in the area by capitalizing on the park’s natural assets, incorporating mixed-uses, and minimizing its impact on the environment. The GSDA intended for The Lakes at Green Valley to be the State of Georgia’s first “eco-industrial park.”
Although various degrees exist – from the less-structured “green industrial park” to the synergy of a complete system in an “integrated eco-industrial park”- the overall concept aimed to create an environment where industrial systems imitate natural ecosystems through the reuse and sharing of energy, materials, and waste. CEDR provided the GSDA with recommendations to develop The Lakes at Green Valley as an eco-industrial park over several years, including the development of a mission statement and guiding principles for the park, tools for industry attraction and retention, and the creation of a nonprofit and advisory board to manage the park’s sustainability initiatives.
Nine years later, the park continues to be a huge success and has become a home for several Japanese firms.
How Georgia’s First Eco-Industrial Park Became a Magnet for Japanese Investment