Whirlpool Corporation Teams Up with EQA Landmark Communities to Develop Newbury Market

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool Corporation has joined forces with Pittsburgh-based national real estate development firm EQA Landmark Communities in support of its Newbury Market development. A $250 million, 350-acre new sustainable mixed-use development scheduled to begin construction this spring in South Fayette, Pa., Newbury Market is one of the largest brownfield mixed-use projects currently underway in Pennsylvania. Offering new residential neighborhoods, retail shops, entertainment, dining and a true town center, the project will create a new heart for an area long noted for high-ranked schools and a sense of community.

"We worked with federal, state and local governments and accomplished the near-impossible – a beautifully restored area that will make it possible for thousands of Pittsburgh-area residents to achieve their American dream of being part of a healthy, picturesque and active community," said Brett Malky, president of EQA Landmark Communities. "Residents will be able to live, work, eat, shop and play – all within Newbury Market."

The project involves the creation of a mixed-use town center, with 1.2 million square feet of commercial space for big-box and small-shop retail, restaurants, banks, offices and a hotel. The residential portion will feature 225 single-family homes, including the first zero-energy homes available on a community-wide scale in the state of Pennsylvania, as well as an apartment community with 225 rental units. Other amenities for residents include a park with a sledding hill, a pool and a clubhouse. The development's plans also call for Whirlpool Gold® appliances in its single-family homes and KitchenAid® appliances in its multi-family homes.

All homes in the development will be required to be built to the "Newbury Standard," which ensures

that each will be:

• Forty percent more efficient than the EPA's ENERGY STAR® national Standard, saving the buyer thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the home and reducing greenhouse gases.
• Designed around Traditional Neighborhood Development, a response to suburban sprawl and "cookie cutter" developments, in which a complete neighborhood or town is developed around a network of paths, streets and lanes suitable for pedestrians as well as vehicles. This provides residents the option of walking, biking or driving within their neighborhood, fostering more community interaction.

"Newbury Market is one of the best examples available of what hard work and extraordinary vision can create within a community," said Tom Halford, general manager, contract sales and marketing at Whirlpool Corporation. "To say that this project aligns with Whirlpool Corporation's commitment to sustainable values, high performance and quality is an understatement. We're happy to be part of this project and feel connected to the community."

Construction for the first phase of Newbury Market is slated to begin in May, with model homes opening this summer. The retail and commercial portion of the development is expected to begin opening during the fall of 2011. During the first three weeks of pre-sales in early 2010, 15 homes were already sold.

Single-family homes will range from 1,700 to 5,000 square feet and are priced from $200,000 to more than $800,000. These will include "cottages" (smaller lot, single-family homes), "parks" (move-up homes), "manors" (bigger lots, larger-sized homes), "carriages" (duplexes) and townhomes. Apartments will range from $900 to $2,000 per month. All residences are designed to an architectural standard that emerged from homes built in the region over the last 75 years.

Before Newbury Market

Before its rebirth, the site for Newbury Market was once a major manufacturing center. Nearly seven years ago, EQA Landmark Communities began working with the former landowner, Beazer East, to develop and clean up the vacant site. Three years ago, Newbury Market volunteered for the Environmental Protection Agency's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the State of Pennsylvania's Land Recycling Program, known as the "Act 2."

For more information, visit www.newburymarket.com.

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation works to exceed expectations with appliances that help building professionals create homes of distinction. The Inside Advantage™ is designed to meet the needs of Whirlpool Corporation's building community customers. More than a program, The Inside Advantage™ provides trade customers with the strength of Powerful Brands, Innovative Products, Market Insight and Targeted Services, all from one company.

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $17 billion in 2009, 67,000 employees, and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world. For more information on Whirlpool Corporation and its offerings for building professionals, please visit www.insideadvantage.com or call 1-800-952-2537.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation - The Inside Advantage(TM)