09/12/2008 07:26 AM

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World's First Double Platinum Green Building Page 2

* Low flow fixtures, 0.5 gallon-per-minute automatic lavatory faucets with aerators, and dual flush valves reduce water consumption by 40%.

* a white roof and 6 inches of added insulation reduce the heat island effect; dim exterior lighting reduces light pollution.

* 92% of the existing walls, roof and floors, and much of the company's former office furnishings were reused. They emphasized using recycled and regionally manufactured materials, diverting 77% of construction debris from the landfill.

* low emission sealants, paints, carpets, and furniture were used extensively. All wood was FSC certified.

All this was accomplished while restoring the building's exterior, main stairway, main corridor and first floor paneled offices to historic preservation standards.

Operations are Green Too

The Christman Company developed detailed specifications for a green housekeeping program that stipulates the use of green cleaning products and practices.

The computerized, web-based building management system, tracks and measures electricity and gas usage, as well as atmospheric conditions inside and outside the building. Its several thousand control points are used to operate building systems for maximum efficiency and comfort. Energy use is metered at the building and tenant levels to encourage conservation.

As is common in green buildings, building commissioning was incorporated from the earliest planning stages to ensure HVAC and electrical systems, lighting controls and water systems are operating properly. The intention is to continuously commission the building for the first year and then to re-commission all systems every five years.

Green Project Financing

Several economic incentives were used to finance the project. Federal programs such as New Market Tax Credits and Historic Tax Credits help urban projects move forward when traditional financing doesn't work. The Federal Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act provides property tax relief - it freezes the taxable value on the building prior to improvements for 12 years. The City of Lansing, through the Brownfield Authority, has a development agreement with the project, enabling recapture of Michigan Single Business Tax Credits for eligible costs of the project. The City also provided key economic information that supported requests for the New Market Tax Credits.

• $672,500 in State of Michigan Brownfield Single Business Tax (SBT) Credits
• $2 million in Federal Historic Tax Credits
• $500,000 in State Historic Tax Credits
• Allocation of $8.5 million in Federal New Market Tax Credits
• $1.2 million ($100,000/year for 12 years) in Property Tax Relief through establishment of a Federal Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act (OPRA) District

As is true with so many green building projects, green construction came in at a competitive price ($12 million), proving once again that sustainable design and construction doesn't have to cost more than conventional building practices.

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