2016 Spirit of Eden Prairie Award winners (l-r) Facilities Manager Shawn Kinniry and CEO Christy Morse, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies; Tom and Marilynn Torkelson; and Greg Leeper, volunteer resident judge.

The City of Eden Prairie presented its 2016 Spirit of Eden Prairie Awards at Tuesday’s City Council meeting to Marilynn and Tom Torkelson and Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

Now in its second year, the Spirit of Eden Prairie Award recognizes significant investments and enhancements property owners have made that contribute to the overall vitality, accessibility and sustainability of the community.

Marilynn and Tom Torkelson accepted the honor in the single-family residential category. With a shallow pond located behind their property, the Torkelsons improved the shoreline with native plantings and installed a rain garden. The Torkelsons' rain garden is “often shown as an example to others wanting their own rain garden,” noted the person who nominated the couple. Their property also features several pollinator-friendly native plants and educational signage about their “bee-safe yard.”

In the commercial/industrial/office category, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies was recognized for its recently renovated and expanded office building, which includes thoughtful design around sustainable materials and a healthy workplace. The renovation of its existing building received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification, an independent verification of the building’s green features, and the organization is also pursuing LEED Platinum Certification for the new expansion.

Notable sustainable renovation strategies included:

• Reusing or recycling more than 95 percent of the materials from the original site
• Using regionally sourced products for construction
• Installing solar panels to help provide electricity to the building
• Using geothermal systems for heating and cooling
• Using water retention tanks and an innovative grey water drip irrigation system
• Protecting the adjacent wetland by using native plantings, installing permeable pavers and building an extensive rain garden

No award was presented in the multi-family residential category.