Fay Apartments owner seeks city help for green overhaul

BY LAURA BAVERMAN | CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER

February 1, 2008

 

CINCINNATI - In three years, the city's third-largest low-income apartment complex could rival market-rate housing for its amenities, technology and energy efficiency.

 

The owners of Fay Apartments will ask the city of Cincinnati in February to loan them the remaining $7 million of the $33 million required to upgrade the 900-unit West Side complex. If granted, Stern Hendy Properties would begin what it believes to be the largest green affordable housing renovation in the nation, spanning 600,000 square feet.

 

For more, click the link

St. Bernard works to reinvent itself with eye to future

BY LAURA BAVERMAN | CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER

February 1, 2008

 

ST. BERNARD - The city of St. Bernard joins a growing list of aging Cincinnati neighborhoods looking at green housing as a way to spark redevelopment.

 

An early 2007 economic development study, completed by University of Cincinnati planning students, led to the October hiring of Al Kanters to lead St. Bernard's community improvement corporation as its first director.

 

For more, click the link

Green space, green design

Grange Insurance plans plaza, new offices with environmental touches

Monday,  February 4, 2008 2:57 AM

By Mike Pramik

 

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

The key to the 10-story addition to the Brewery District is a 2-foot-square tile filled with concrete.

 

Grange Insurance is employing a raised-floor system, built with dozens of the squares, in its headquarters expansion. The squares not only will allow more flexibility when designing the interior, but also will provide cubicle denizens individual control of their airspace.

 

For more, click the link

Mike Pramik covers development for The Dispatch. Contact him at mpramik@ dispatch.com or by fax at 614-461-5107.

http://dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/02/04/ZONE0204.ART_ART_02-04-08_C12_8M97NCT.html?sid=101

 

The Cleveland Restoration Society's latest e-newsletter "Perspectives" featured this website on embodied energy, which includes a calculator: www.thegreenestbuilding.org

 

I've never tried this before, but was curious if anyone else has come across a calculator like this that can be used to do some simple estimates of embodied energy.

 

On a side note, I received a mailing today that identifies the Cleveland Clinic's new East 89th Street Garage & Service Center as the "largest LEED Registered building in the State of Ohio."  Obviously, that doesn't imply that it's received any certification yet (it's still under construction), but that surprised me.  The vast majority of its square footage is a parking structure that will accommodate 4,000 cars and the service center will occupy 220,000 square feet.  I guess if they build it well, they can get the points for construction, but obviously not for promoting sustainable transportation!  Anyone have experience with this?

 

 

Green building gaining ground in local commercial sector

 

By JENNIFER KEIRN [Crain's]

 

4:30 am, February 18, 2008

 

Bill Doty took some serious flak from his peers when he hopped on the green-building bandwagon more than 10 years ago.

 

This 30-plus-year architect and co-founder of Doty & Miller Architects said he “got harassed” back then about his support for a movement hovering on the fringe, seen by many as a bunch of tree-huggers promoting premium-priced green products and unrealistic construction methods.

 

For more, click the link

following from the above...

 

February 18. 2008 4:30AM

Solar panels on IMG Center next on firm’s green agenda

 

By JENNIFER KEIRN

 

Talking to colleagues in other major U.S. cities, Jim Breen gets a glimpse of the greening that’s coming to Cleveland’s commercial real estate market.

 

“People (in other cities) tell me that if you’re not a LEED-registered building, you’re not even getting looked at,” said Mr. Breen, principal of local commercial real estate firm Breen + Fox. “It’s not here yet, but it will be here.”

So Mr. Breen’s getting ahead of the green game by pursuing LEED certifications for the buildings he owns, the flagship of which is the IMG Center on East Ninth Street.

 

For more, click the link

The IMG Center, if anyone was wondering:

 

Awesome!

looks like a lot of surface for some panels!  What the heck is that thing on the corner?  Is that for Zeppelin docking?

$13.1M Art Academy project wins LEED certification

BY KEVIN LEMASTER | SOAPBOX MEDIA

March 4, 2008

 

OVER-THE-RHINE - After an arduous five year process, the Art Academy of Cincinnati has won LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its $13.1 million renovation project.

 

LEED certification recognizes renovation and new construction for being energy efficent, environmentally friendly and healthy for its occupants.

 

For more, click the link

Northside at the forefront of green redevelopment

BY KEVIN LEMASTER | SOAPBOX CINCINNATI

March 11, 2008

 

NORTHSIDE - The Cincinnati Northside Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CNCURC) is quickly becoming the local leader in green redevelopment techniques.

 

The most visible example of their work is the two new homes, built to U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED standards, at the corner of Chase Avenue and Fergus Street on what was formerly District 5's top drug and crime hotspot.

 

For more, click the link

*Images and external links with main article

^ They gave a presentation at the Neighborhood Summit. It sounds like a great project, and hopefully they continue to support projects like this.

Historic Findlay Market looks to install solar panels:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/03/17/story10.html

There are a decent amount of "Green" threads on here...so I'll pick this one.  From MSN:

 

12 unexpected urban areas that are doing good green stuff

 

http://green.msn.com/galleries/photos/photos.aspx?gid=207&GT1=45002&page=2

 

"Cleveland also ranks second only to Los Angeles in the number of projects per capita seeking certification under LEED-ND, an expanded version of the notorious green-building guidelines that applies to entire neighborhoods."

Those About to Rock

Can Cleveland bring itself back from the brink?

By Kristine Hansen

15 May 2008

 

"Most people know Cleveland by the Browns or The Flats," says Marc Lefkowitz. From the roof of his office building, which is dotted with native wildflowers and grasses, he gestures to the downtown skyline -- marked by the iconic Mittal Steel smokestacks that gave The Flats neighborhood its name -- and toward the beloved football team's stadium along the shimmering shores of Lake Erie.

 

For more, click the link

http://www.grist.org/feature/2008/05/15/cleveland/

Mad Money’s Jim Cramer praises a green Cleveland

Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 05:19:55 AM

Rebecca Meiser

 

This man is not nearly as obnoxious as originally thought.You may not realize this, but Cleveland is way ahead of the green curve.

 

So says Grist.org, a Seattle environmental group that ranked Cleveland one of the 12 most green cities in the country. Seems we have more community gardens than most, and most of our new housing has been deemed “energy efficient.” We’re second only to Los Angeles in the number of new construction units that are officially certified as “green” by LEED-ND, a non-profit that rates new homes on their eco-sustainability…

 

For more, click the link

http://blogs.clevescene.com/cnotes/2008/06/mad_moneys_jim_cramer_praises.php

There's a new office complex that's being built near the Dana Avenue exit of 71 that's being billed as a "green campus."  I'm sure the companies that take up residence there will outsource their jobs to foreign countries within 10 years, but hey, its green, right?  ;)

Neyer Properties pledges to go green on future projects

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/neyergreen0624.aspx

That is great.  Hopefully EVERYBODY else follows their lead.  There is absolutely no reason not to unless developers want to be left behind.

 

I keep hearing bits about queen city square vying for certification but im not aware of any substantial proof.  Is this true?

Bortz proposes green roof incentive

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/07/bortz-proposes-green-roof-incentive.html

 

"Cincinnati City Councilmember, Chris Bortz, says that the program could be structured as a no interest or low interest loan that could be repaid as the building owner realizes the cost savings."

Local USGBC chapter explores green roof technology

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/usgbcgreenroof0722.aspx

 

---

 

Home builders voice support for energy-efficiency credits

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/hbacredits0722.aspx

The Mount gets a green roof

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080807/NEWS01/808070378/1055/NEWS

Public gets a look at Ohio's first LEED-certified public school

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/pridgemontessori0812.aspx

 

Families, alumni, and community members got an opportunity to tour what will be Ohio's first LEED-certified public school on Sunday.

 

Located on the former site of the neighborhood elementary school, the new K-8 Pleasant Ridge Montessori School will house 550 students.

 

For more, click the link

I'm not sure if this was posted anywhere else, but this month's issue of Cleveland magazine Inside Buiness, there's an entire magazine dedicated to things GREEN in Cleveland:

 

http://www.inside-business.com/

Conference to explore costs, benefits of green vs. LEED

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/greenvsleed0902.aspx

 

Can one build sustainably and save money on the soft costs associated with LEED certification?

 

Anyone involved in commercial real estate or associated industries is invited to find out on September 11 from 10:45 AM to 6:30 PM at Linden Pointe on the Lateral in Norwood.

 

For more, click the link

online.

City working on green roof incentive

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2008/09/cincinnati-working-on-green-roof.html

 

City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr says that a motion to incentivize green roof construction is practical, and that the City is working to do so.

 

In a report to City Council, Dohoney says that the Office of Environmental Quality, Metropolitan Sewer District, and the Department of City Planning are working to identify the "most advantageous structure" for a green roof incentive program.

 

For more, click the link

Great news!

That is pretty cool!

 

LEED architecture without good urban design is like cutting down the rainforest using hybrid-powered bulldozers. - Dan Malouff

 

(It's really quite amazing what this law office has decided to do with their new building on Grayton Rd in Cleveland. The Crain's website also has a brief video interview with David Douglas regarding the green elements in his new office. I highly recommend a watch because it shows what almost anyone can do to green their buildings if they really want to and place enough of an importance on it .. which everyone, in my opinion, should if possible. - jpop)

 

Livin’ large — and green

Take a look behind the massive solar panels in front of attorney David Douglass’ new Grayton Road office space

http://crainscleveland.com/article/20080915/FREE/809129955

By STAN BULLARD / 4:30 am, September 15, 2008

 

Douglass & Associates Co. LPA recently moved into a new office building in Cleveland that resembles a rustic lodge. But it's a totally modern touch that draws the attention of passers-by to the law firm's home.

 

For more, click the link

Heh.

"They're a lot bigger then I thought they were going to be." - Mr. Douglass

Hahaha .. that was pretty hilarious.

 

The one thing I hate about this new building is those solar panels and the fact that they're right in the front of the freaking building. Pretty unsightly, in my opinion.

LEED Gold?  I wonder how the transit access to that I-480 offramp is.  And how walkable and bikable that area is.  Anyway, it's nice that their building will be more energy and water efficient.

Green building group tours Ohio's first LEED Gold home

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/designhome1111.aspx

 

***Images with article link***

 

Last week, local LEED AP Chuck Lohre of the local chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council led a group of green building professionals and enthusiasts through Ohio's first LEED Gold home at the Vintage Club of Montgomery.

 

For more, click the link

I just passed my accreditation exam, and wanted to take a moment to pat myself on the back.  yay me.  :smile:

Awiiight!!

I just passed my accreditation exam, and wanted to take a moment to pat myself on the back.  yay me.  :)

 

Congrats [glow=green,2,300]Mayor[/glow]

Congratulations!

Gracias... and in case you're wondering that test is just as horrid as you'd think it would be.

Green schools made for better performance

Mount Healthy a leader in LEED building design

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/12/01/focus6.html

 

Mount Healthy schools are on a building boom, and their projects are helping to make the monolithic education buildings of generations past just a bad memory.

 

Massive windows, traditional brick, and the first-ever large auditorium for the district are all part of the 240,000-square-foot high school and two 120,000-square-foot elementary schools. The buildings also are seeking certification through the Leadership in Energy Design (LEED) program for environmentally friendly buildings.

 

For more, click the link

THE ENERGY CHALLENGE

No Furnaces but Heat Aplenty in ‘Passive Houses’

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

Published: December 26, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/27/world/europe/27house.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

 

Rolf Oeser for The New York Times

Berthold Kaufmann and his wife, Dorte Feierabend, with their daughters in their "passive house" in Darmstadt, Germany.

 

DARMSTADT, Germany — From the outside, there is nothing unusual about the stylish new gray and orange row houses in the Kranichstein District, with wreaths on the doors and Christmas lights twinkling through a freezing drizzle. But these houses are part of a revolution in building design: There are no drafts, no cold tile floors, no snuggling under blankets until the furnace kicks in. There is, in fact, no furnace.

 

For more, click the link

USGBC-Cincinnati to discuss green initiatives at 30th annual CSI Construction Products Showcase

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/innovationnews/56greencsi.aspx

 

Prepare to be educated on things green.

 

For this year's CSI Construction Products Showcase will feature more than the newest in building design.

 

To learn more about the Showcase and to register, visit here.  Tickets for all workshops combined are selling for $25.

USGBC seeking public comment for LEED neighborhoods

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2009/05/usgbc-seeking-public-comment-for-leed.html

 

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is seeking public comment for its LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND) program through June 14.

 

The LEED ND rating system, which has been in a pilot phase since 2007, is designed to provide a national set of standards for neighborhood location and design based on the principles of smart growth, new urbanism, and green infrastructure and building.

 

For more, click the link

 

UC landscape architect becomes one of first accredited green roof professionals in the world

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/0825greenroofpro.aspx

 

2009 marks the first year that Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) offered accreditation in green roof design and implementation.  The comprehensive exam process drew 130 professionals from around the world.  109 passed the "rigorous" exam, including Mt. Healthy resident and associate professor of architecture at the University of Cincinnati, Virginia Russell.

 

For more, click the link

Cleveland Clinic building gets 'green' certification

by Michelle Jarboe/Plain Dealer Reporter

Wednesday August 26, 2009, 5:25 PM

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Offices that house more than 500 Cleveland Clinic employees are the first certified "green" healthcare project in Northeast Ohio.

 

The inside of the Clinic's JJ North administrative building, on East 93rd Street between Euclid and Chester avenues, has achieved certification through the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. The offices feature lights that adjust to bright sunlight and overcast days, water-saving toilets, bicycle storage and showers for employees who bike to work.

 

More at

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/08/cleveland_clinic.html

Greener Stock available for builders next week

By Kevin LeMaster, Building Cincinnati | January 4, 2010

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2010/01/greener-stock-available-for-builders.html

 

A store that bills itself as the first in Cincinnati to specialize in building supplies made from recycled or rapidly renewable materials is set to open on January 12 in Columbia Tusculum.

 

Greener Stock, located at 3528 Columbia Parkway, is the concept of architect Heather E. Curless, a South Carolina transplant who specializes in residential remodeling work.

 

Her store will feature sustainable finishes such as flooring, countertops, light bulbs and paint; consulting, design and permitting services; and waste management and contractor referrals.

 

"There are some really interesting products out there that we're trying to display," Curless says.

 

One such product is a line of plasma-induction light bulbs from Blue Ash-based DayLeit, an electrodeless lamp pioneered by Nikola Tesla that lasts much longer and uses much less energy than even compact fluorescent bulbs.

 

Another featured product, which can be seen near Greener Stock's cash/wrap area, is a Kirei board wood substitute made from reclaimed sorghum straw.

 

Every item not kept in stock will be available for special-order, and the idea is to source all products locally, Curless says.

 

"As much as possible, definitely," she says. "We're trying to look at it from a regional perspective."

 

'Going to be huge'

Curless first started hearing about green building during graduate school in Seattle nine years ago.

 

"There were some firms there that were working in sustainable projects, but the product was not there," she says.

 

She came back to Cincinnati and worked at Cole + Russell Architects (now CR Architecture + Design) for a couple of years before starting her own practice, doing mostly residential remodels.

 

Lookout Terrace, a development of detached townhomes on Athens Avenue, has been her largest project to date.

 

"I've been kind of thinking about this concept for a year and a half to two years, and then sat for the LEED exam last year," Curless says. "After going through that process, it made a lot more sense to be able to provide something like this locally. And then, once I did more research, I realized that Columbus has a store, and Louisville has a store, and Indy has a store – so it wasn't something that anyone had not heard of."

 

She originally looked at the Madison Road corridor – specifically Oakley – for a location, but opted for Columbia Tusculum after seeing a sign declaring the building available.

 

"We were initially very focused on Oakley because of the good traffic," Curless says. "But I noticed the sign on this building, and the storage, loading and parking were big factors. We're in a location that's going to be huge for us."

 

Building a market

Curless envisions a broad market for her products and services, especially with Cincinnati's LEED tax abatement and the cachet of the LEED label.

 

"I think it's going to come from a couple of different directions," she says. "Definitely, I'm going to work the architect/developer end of things. A lot of the inquiries I've gotten are from people who are interested in creating their environments more naturally. People who have been afflicted with asthma, or autism, or that sort of thing and feel like it's an environmental issue, so they're looking for natural products to put in their spaces."

 

Curless will work with one part-time employee to start, and tentatively plans hours of 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays.

 

Her goal is to get the doors open and get a few projects under her belt, which will help finance even more displays and materials.

 

"It may be kind of sparse in the early stages, but we'll be building on it as we go, as we learn about more products," Curless says.

 

View photos with story here:

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2010/01/greener-stock-available-for-builders.html

Cincinnati USGBC chapter wins national advocacy award

By Kevin LeMaster, Building Cincinnati | January 4, 2010

http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2010/01/cincinnati-usgbc-chapter-wins-national.html

 

The Cincinnati chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has been presented with the Award of Excellence for Advocacy & Influence during the USGBC's 2009 Chapter Awards of Excellence presented last month at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Phoenix.

 

One of seven of USGBC's 78 local chapters to win an award, Cincinnati's was recognized for building the capacity of its Advocacy Circle, which helped to influence local and statewide policy.

 

"We were the only Chapter to receive an Advocacy Award, so it is a very high honor which sets us apart from the other chapters in the nation," said Chad Edwards, USGBC Cincinnati chapter vice chair.

 

Shawn Hesse chaired the chapter's advocacy efforts, which led to a surge in volunteerism.

 

"The dramatic increase of involved volunteers on the Cincinnati Advocacy Committee is really a testament to the strength of the green building movement in Cincinnati," Hesse said. "In 2009, the number of actively engaged volunteers more than doubled for the entire chapter, not just the advocacy committee. All we had to do was write down what volunteer roles were needed, and we immediately had volunteers ready to jump in to support green building policy and legislation at the local, state, and even federal levels."

 

The USGBC award also highlighted the establishment of 11 specific local initiatives, including:

 

• Ohio House Bill 7, which would require all projects built or renovated with state money to achieve 30 percent saving over ASHRAE guidelines and to achieve LEED Silver certification
  
• Ohio House Bill 1, which would modify residential energy code adoptions in Ohio to adopt the most recent International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) standards
  
• Local advocacy, A pilot project to create and manage a database of interested individuals to testify to or petition City government officials
  
• Campaigning for sustainability on The Banks project, stormwater and rain collection issues, green schools, and green homes
  
• Coordinating with the Blue Green Alliance for a town hall event featuring Cincinnati City Council candidates
  
• Supporting the Cincinnati streetcar, through a letter of support to Cincinnatians for Progress
  
• Engaging Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, getting him to sign the Mayor's Alliance for Green Schools
  
• Assisting in the creation of the City of Wilmington's "Green Enterprise Zone" legislation, which the city later passed.

 

Hesse said that the chapter has been making inroads nationally as well. This past September, he traveled to Washington, D.C. with two other chapter members and representatives from Columbus and Cleveland to meet with Representatives Steve Driehaus and Jean Schmidt to discuss national building energy efficiency and green jobs.

 

"It's really an exciting time to be part of the chapter's advocacy role because it really does feel like we are making a difference," he said.

 

"Our chapters are the driving force behind USGBC's efforts to make green building a reality for everyone within a generation," said Heather Tomlinson, USGBC vice president of community. "Chapter staff and volunteers dedicate time and resources to take important action locally through advocacy, outreach and education in order to produce positive results globally, and their work certainly deserves recognition."

 

In addition to the 78 local chapters, USGBC is made up of more than 20,000 member companies and organizations and more than 131,000 LEED Accredited Professionals.

Cincinnati's green building boom reflects Ohioans' changing priorities

Val Prevish, hi velocity | December 17, 2009

 

Ohio has emerged as a leader in the green building movement, and nowhere is the trend more evident than in Cincinnati. Changing demographics and lifestyles are making green choices more popular, and the success of projects in Cincinnati shows that the future of building in Ohio is about making it green.

 

Chad Edwards is 2010 president-elect of the US Green Building Council Cincinnati Regional Chapter and an architect with Emersion DESIGN in Cincinnati, whose office is certified LEED Platinum, the highest green rating available. He says Ohio's leadership started in 2004 with initiatives to begin building new schools in the state to LEED standards that pushed Ohio into the forefront of green construction.

 

Read full article here (with images):

http://www.hivelocitymedia.com/features/Greenbuildings12_17_09.aspx

8 homes that generate more #energy than they consume

 

http://inhabitat.com/8-homes-that-generate-more-energy-than-they-consume/

 

Lots of Cleveland coverage in this national piece...

 

Big efficiency for small and medium buildings

Adam Sledd and Nicole Stika

Friday, May 20, 2016 - 12:33am

 

For those of us working in the green buildings field, it can appear on the surface that all the exciting work is happening in enormous buildings and portfolios in popular coastal cities.

 

Stories about net-zero renovations in Silicon Valley, innovative efficiency solutions for Fortune 500 headquarters in New York and big Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS) achieving LEED or GRESB certifications dominate the majority of green building media coverage.

 

MORE:

https://www.greenbiz.com/article/big-efficiency-small-and-medium-buildings