The Dauphin County Planning Commission awarded the Hershey Center for Applied Research (HCAR) with the Premier Project Award for Sustainable Growth. The award recognizes professional leadership in projects that promote truly sustainable projects. The judging criteria for the sustainable growth Premier Project Award required the winning entry to enhance the environment, stimulate economic growth and promote community health.
HCAR, in partnership with the Hershey Trust Company, hosts international and west coast research and development companies that benefit from the close proximity of scientific and medical research conducted in the region. HCAR’s Knowledge Community brings together innovative, cutting edge businesses in an environment where they collaborate and grow.
Current tenants include everything from cancer research projects to new product development companies. By relocating to HCAR, those high tech tenants brought jobs to the area. The local economy also benefits from the start-up companies on the HCAR campus.
The Hershey Center for Applied Research is located adjacent to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Derry Township. During development, special care was taken to preserve the100 year old floodplain’s habitat for native plants, as well as restore a historic farmhouse on the property, now renovated into a restaurant. As part of the development a bike trail
was relocated on to the property as well as a child care center.
Entries for the Premier Project Awards were open to projects started from 2007-2012 that displayed excellence in improving Dauphin County.
Buchart-Horn has been working with The Hershey Trust Company and Hershey Center for Applied Research since 2006, developing sustainable site infrastructure and stream restoration plans, obtaining plan federal, state and municipal approvals and permits, preparing condominium lot plats, and providing planning consulting. The Center was also the winner of the 2009 GBACPA Design Award for Sustainable Sites.