July/August 2010
LEED ND
C O N T E N T S
Homes: Greening the MLS, By Glen Girard, USGBC CO Communications Chair
Project Highlight: Housing Resources Office Building Achieves LEED Certification- First Existing Building to Achieve Certification in Grand Junction, By Elaine Matthews, Ryan, Sawyer & Associates
REGREEN: Workshop October 28-29, taught by Annette Stelmack and Pete Yost
Membership: Recap of Our 2010 Annual Membership Event, By Barb Josey, USGBC CO Membership Chair
Colorado Building Green is the official newsletter of the U.S. Green Building Council – Colorado Chapter, and is published bi-monthly. If you are interested in submiting a story, ideas or other information for publication, please contact the editor at sarah@usgbccolorado.org
City of Aurora Sets a New Standard for Sustainable Development
Construction of another LEED® for Neighborhood Development pilot project on the horizon
By Patti Mason, Director of Advocacy
USGBC Colorado Chapter
In March the Aurora City Council voted to establish an $89.6 million-dollar tax increment financing (TIF) package for Horizon Uptown, the first compact, mixed-use sustainability community in the City of Aurora. Horizon Uptown received LEED® Certification for its neighborhood plan under the U.S. Green Building Council’s innovative LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot program.
“This is a landmark project within the state of Colorado, and will support Aurora’s formally adopted sustainability plan,” said Aurora City Council member Brad Pierce, a member of the National League of Cities’ Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Steering Committee. “It highlights our opportunities to incorporate green building and green infrastructure into development within the city.”
The $89.6M in TIF funds generated over 25 years will be used to construct a K–8 Aurora Public Schools Pilot School, Community Shared Services Building, which will incorporate a recreation center, aquatic center, library, job skilling and employment center, cultural facilities and possible fire station, and a pedestrian-friendly town center. The mixed-use community will be a benchmark in sustainable development for the City of Aurora and the TIF funds will allow the development of first-class regional amenities and services for not only Horizon Uptown but all of northeast Aurora.
Certain design elements are consistently applied throughout most sustainable mixed-use communities and Horizon Uptown is no exception. The five hundred acre development, however, does stand out because of its unique commitment and approach to lifelong education.
“We don’t see our communities as having schools in them, we see our communities as schools and we are excited to be working with Aurora Public Schools in the delivery of a new Pilot School with a mission an curriculum focus on sustainability and health and wellness,” said Krista Sprenger, Horizon Uptown Project Director. Including five teachers on the school’s design team is a trend the U.S. Green Building Council Colorado Chapter’s Green Schools Committee is excited to explore at this year’s Green Schools Summit in October.
For those who know Lend Lease Americas, the developer of Horizon Uptown, it is probably not surprising to learn that the Australia based company is taking its first Colorado project to a whole new level of sustainability. Every detail, from the location of commercial office space to incorporating a walking school bus program, uniquely harnesses triple bottom line benefits seamlessly.
“Communities that incorporate the three pillars of sustainability are Colorado's future and Horizon Uptown is an outstanding example of creating a balance between economic vitality, social responsibility and environmental sensitivity,” said Jim Bradburn, Chair of the Board of Directors for the U.S. Green Building Council Colorado Chapter. "Lend Lease's commitment to working with all stakeholders early in the process to overcome the challenges is what made this project a success."
*Images courtesy of www.horizonuptown.com