Bozzuto Unveils Maryland's First Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in a Residential Community

GREENBELT, Md., March 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bozzuto Group plans to unveil and demonstrate the operation of the State's first public electric vehicle charging stations contained within a residential development at The Fitzgerald, an apartment community located in Baltimore's Mount Vernon district.  A "plug-in" ceremony involving participation from local business leaders and officials is scheduled for Thursday, March 31st at 10:30am EDT.

(Photo http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110330/PH73776 )

Bozzuto selected and is working with SemaConnect, a leading developer of wireless networked electric vehicle charging stations, to install two ChargePro charging stations within The Fitzgerald's 1,245-space public parking garage.  The garage has the capability to support two additional stations as demand increases and as area residents acquire electric cars. 

"As a developer, builder, owner and manager, we recognize that we have the opportunity to be a leader in the sustainable use of the Earth's resources," said Toby Bozzuto, president, Bozzuto Development Company.  "We also realize that, over the long term, we can actually create more value with less environmental impact. We look forward to helping recharge current – and future – electric vehicle owners at The Fitzgerald."

The ChargePro charging stations are available to the general public to recharge any new mass-marketed electric vehicle, including the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt and plug-in Toyota Prius, and include smart card authentication, energy metering, automatic payment system and web-based network management.

"By installing our charging stations at The Fitzgerald, we provide residents and visitors the ability to safely and easily recharge their electric vehicles in a state of the art facility," said Mahi Reddy, president and CEO, SemaConnect. "We look forward to working with Bozzuto to deploy charging infrastructure at additional multifamily properties, helping our country make the transition to a fossil-fuel free transportation future."

Professionally managed by Parking Management, Inc. (PMI) and with 950 spaces available for use by the University of Baltimore (UB), The Fitzgerald garage provides 60 percent of the school's student parking accommodations and is equipped with free door-to-door UB shuttle service, a staffed office and automatic university debit capabilities.

"The University of Baltimore and Bozzuto have been great partners in building this transit-oriented development, and now with preferred hybrid parking, UB Zimride ridesharing, Zipcars, and Bozzuto's foray into electric vehicle charging stations, there are even more ways to get around with less impact on the earth," said Steve Cassard, vice president for facilities management and capital planning, University of Baltimore.

"As the first residential community in the Mid-Atlantic to install public electric vehicle charging stations, Bozzuto's Fitzgerald development exemplifies the use of SemaConnect's smart grid compatible and multi-tenant capabilities and stands to greatly benefit the ever-increasing number of Marylanders who will own an electric vehicle," said Jill Sorensen, executive director of The Baltimore Electric Vehicle Initiative. "This important addition to our EV infrastructure – public stations within an apartment community – will make owning an electric vehicle a real possibility for anyone choosing to rent a home rather than own."

The Fitzgerald is a mixed-use development comprised of 275 luxury apartments, 24,000 square feet of street-level retail and a 1,245 space public parking garage.  The community is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is on track to become largest LEED-certified apartment community in the Baltimore area.

The Fitzgerald is a joint venture between The Bozzuto Group, Gould Property Company, NYSTRS and former Baltimore Raven Michael McCrary, and sits on 4.6 acres of land owned by the University of Baltimore.  The community was developed by Bozzuto Development Company, built by Bozzuto Construction Company, and is now managed by Bozzuto Management Company.

For more information, visit www.FitzgeraldBaltimore.com or call 888-345-9142.

About The Bozzuto Group

Headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area, The Bozzuto Group is a diversified residential real estate company consisting of six integrated companies – Acquisitions, Construction, Development, Homebuilding, Land Development and Property Management – that together provide a broad range of real estate services throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.  The company is committed to providing quality housing for individuals of all income levels, producing everything from luxury homes and apartments to affordable housing solutions.

Throughout The Bozzuto Group's more than 23-year history, the company has developed, acquired and built more than 31,000 homes and apartments, and the firm and its principals have been honored with numerous industry awards and accolades, including having been recognized by the NAHB as the nation's premier apartment development company, and twice as management company of the year.  For more information, please visit http://www.bozzuto.com.

SOURCE The Bozzuto Group