Friendship Village, a Minerva Properties Development, Donates Land to GROW

Friendship Village is proud to announce the donation of five acres of land in the Chattahoochee Hill Country for the construction of the Georgia Rehabilitation of Wildlife Hospital and Clinical Research Center (“GROW”).

[ClickPress, Wed Jan 16 2008] Friendship Village is proud to announce the donation of five acres of land in the Chattahoochee Hill Country for the construction of the Georgia Rehabilitation of Wildlife Hospital and Clinical Research Center (“GROW”). In cooperation with the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, GROW will provide professional medical care to sick, injured or orphaned wildlife and serve as a teaching and research facility for the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.

GROW is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization raising $3.5 million to build the wildlife hospital, which will be built on land adjacent to the Cochran Mill Nature Center (CMNC). CMNC is already located in Friendship Village. GROW and CMNC have agreed to partner on facilities use and educational programs to provide wildlife education to the general public and serve as a permanent home for wildlife that cannot be returned to the wild. GROW will provide veterinary care to the many animals brought to CMNC, many of which they currently turn away as they are unequipped to treat them.

“We are very happy to donate the land to GROW because of their unique mission to serve the wildlife of Georgia,” said Stacy Patton, Project Manager. “The environmental education focus of the GROW facility and Cochran Mill Nature Center makes for a great partnership. Friendship Village is more than 60 percent greenspace, including parks, wildlife corridors, and a community-wide trail system, which will be complemented by the GROW Facility. GROW and CMNC are just the beginning of Friendship Village’s many opportunities for people to interact daily with the environment.”

The GROW facility will be designed and constructed as a LEED-certified building, an energy efficient and eco-sensitive structure that will be cleaner and healthier for occupants and the environment. The GROW hospital be will the first wildlife hospital of Georgia staffed by American College of Zoological Medicine (ACZM) residents. The hospital will conduct clinical research, provide training and learning opportunities to veterinary students in the care of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds, as well as liaise with Federal and State wildlife agencies and associations to identify and coordinate the release of wildlife cases according to scientific merits.

There is currently no dedicated wildlife specialist hospital in Georgia. As a result, many sick, injured, orphaned and nuisance wildlife may be unnecessarily euthanized by animal control agencies and nuisance animal trappers.

The donation will be announced at the Jack Hanna Celebrity Benefit Gala, the first annual fundraising event to benefit GROW, at the Georgia Aquarium on January 18, 2008.

Friendship Village is a new-town concept being developed by Minerva, situated on 2,000 acres of rolling, wooded terrain in the Chattahoochee Hill Country. The community will be a unique mix of land uses including single family, townhomes, condominiums, live/work, retail, office, schools and civic buildings with vast areas of preserved greenspace and recreational opportunities. The resulting “Village” will provide residents with an all-inclusive pedestrian friendly community that exemplifies smart growth practices.

Minerva’s developmental plans for Friendship Village are to build a new community that is based on smart growth principles where people will enjoy, learn and live in a healthy environment.

About GROW:

The mission of GROW is to provide professional medical care to sick, injured or orphaned wildlife as a result of human activity in the first green wildlife hospital of Georgia staffed by wildlife specialist veterinarians; to liaise with Federal and State wildlife agencies and associations to identify and coordinate the release of wildlife cases; to research and investigate the causes of wildlife issues including those diseases that affect humans; to critically evaluate the success of rehabilitation and release; and to provide learning opportunities on issues of wildlife and ecology. For more information, call (770) 969-5280 or visit www.thegrowcenter.org.

About Minerva:

Minerva Properties has developed award winning communities in the Southeast since its founding. The portfolio of successful real estate projects developed and managed by Minerva represents a combined investment value of over $800 million. Minerva’s team of professionals directs all aspects of the community development process from land acquisition through zoning, infrastructure and lot construction, builder selection and marketing implementation. Minerva’s focused attention to detail ensures that the created communities reflect a value-enhancing blend of desirable location, top-ranked and well-respected builders, a diverse selection of home styles and price ranges and an impressive list of resort-style amenities. Minerva is also highly focused on maintaining the integrity of the surrounding areas in which it develops and works closely with local authorities to ensure that development occurs with respect for nature, where residential and environmental interests co-exist. For more information, call 678-808-8000 or visit www.minerva-usa.com.

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