Company: Wachovia Corporation
Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina
Industry: Financial Services
Company Size: Large (annual revenues of over $250 million)
"Our focus is on creating an inclusive workplace where we value and retain
employees, deliver our best service to customers and foster vibrant communities.
Wachovia’s commitment to supporting the arts in our communities is critical to
the success of our overall business strategy."
– G. Kennedy Thompson, President and CEO
Objectives
To revitalize the downtown Charlotte area, to increase involvement with the
arts, to enhance employee morale and productivity, and to heighten its presence
in the community.
Process
- To produce a literary arts "oasis" for its employees and the general public,
Wachovia developed The Green, a 1.5-acre interactive park that is part of a
mixed-use development that also includes retail, office and residential spaces.
Wachovia spearheaded the park’s development, which is adjacent to the company’s
headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, by bringing together numerous
partners within the community to plan and fund the project.
- Within the park are 10 art projects based upon literary themes, including
two bronze stacked-book totems placed at the park’s entrance, with the top books
opened and pages fashioned to appear as if they are being wind-blown. Bronze
pages, each engraved with a poem written by a Charlotte high school student, are
placed throughout the park that appear as if the wind has carried them to their
present locations. Other park features include a sound-activated walkway, a
reading area, an interactive fountain and a "secret" garden.
- The park also includes educational components relating to North and South
Carolina, such as maps highlighting significant locations in the Carolinas and
signposts featuring the names of authors that are also the names of localities,
such as Poe, South Carolina.
Results
The Green has helped drive traffic to the downtown area, thus helping to
revitalize the area; has become a place for Wachovia employees, their families
and friends to gather both during the week and on weekends; and has attracted
positive media attention for the company, raising its profile.
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