Business Facilities - June 2008 - (Page 16)

COVER STORY The Greening of America (Continued from page 14) the environment are strong incentives for companies to build green, the green-building regulations now emerging from state and local governments and other agencies are having an across-the-board impact. 21ST CENTURY ZONING According to Rainwater, the measures enacted in Boston are “a concrete example of how a large American city can move its zoning code into the 21st century.” In the “Local Leaders” study, Rainwater noted that the regulations had an immediate impact on building in Boston: “The inclusion of green building standards directly into the code dramatically [increased] the number of green buildings constructed, as the number of permits issued by the city for green buildings in the first half of 2007 far outstripped the number of all green buildings constructed [in the previous year]. This also [speeds] the momentum as the remaining cost differential between green and standard buildings diminishes.” New York City, which has required LEED standards for public buildings for several years, now offers incentives for private green building practices, with grants for “green” roofs and brownfield redevelopment. The city also has adopted strict codes for energy consumption. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s wide-ranging PlaNYC proposal calls for a 30% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions in the city by 2030. Stephen T. Del Percio, whose gbNYC.com Web site explores green building and related legal issues, says the city is seeing an increased number of projects applying for LEED certification, thanks in large part to Local Law 86 requiring most public projects to earn a LEED silver rating. “There are still less than 20 projects [in New York City] that have earned the rating from USGBC, but given the number that have applied in recent months, we anticipate seeing that number increase,” Del Percio says. “While our local green building legislation doesn’t apply to private development yet, Local Law 86 has been successful in getting project teams up to speed with the green building learning curve. Private developers recognize the marketing advantages that the LEED label provides them, even if they remain skeptical of the financial benefits of green. Almost every new commercial building that’s going up in Manhattan is applying for a LEED rating.” California has some of the strongest green building policies, Groundbreaking will take place later this year for the Madden Research Loop, a bioscience technology complex in Fort Myers, FL. Components needed to achieve LEED certification will amount to about 4% of $80 million budgeted for Phase 1 of the project (275,000 square feet of office/lab space on 25 acres). 16 JUNE 2008 PHOTO CREDIT: JOHN MADDEN CO. http://gbNYC.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Business Facilities - June 2008

Business Facilities - June 2008 Contents First Word Snapshots Metro Spotlight: Austin, TX The Greening of America Winds of Change in the Berkshires Hot Logistics Locales Metro Spotlight: New Mexico Borderplex Hollywood on the Louisiana Bayou Idaho: Gem State's Economy is Glittering Mayor's Reports New Brunswick, Canada's Export Leader Virginia: Where Business and Fun Come Together How Green Is Your Site? Maine's New Maritime Marketing Message Corporate Moves: Alabama Advertiser Index Ask the Expert

Business Facilities - June 2008

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