Mixed-Use Project Aims for LEED’s Highest Score

Words: Bronzella Cleveland

Summer 2009
Industry News

Mixed-Use Project Aims for LEED’s Highest Score

A developer in Independence, Ore., is aiming to achieve “the world’s greenest building” with a mixed-use project currently under construction.

The brick-clad Independence Station, designed by Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects, is a three-story, 57,000-square-foot building that is the brainchild of developer Steven Ribeiro of Aldeia LLC. His goal for the project, which is about 40 percent completed, is a LEED score of 65 or better (out of a possible 69 points). The current record holder is a Canadian project, which boasts a score of 63.

Once finished, the so-called Independence Station will feature an upscale restaurant, office space and 15 high-end condos. Most of the projects LEED points should be earned through its use of renewable energy sources, the developer says. In fact, Independence Station will operate in a carbon-negative manner. For instance, the building will use bio-diesel fuels and photovoltaic panels to provide electricity and heat; rainwater will be collected for use in toilets, laundry, water hoses, etc.; and the building will include a green roof.

Ribeiro is looking for pioneering entrepreneurs and homeowners to be among the first occupants. He is counting on the building’s pending LEED status to attract buyers. Moreover, he thinks that the location – 15 minutes from Salem, Ore., – would be attractive to those looking for space outside of urban clusters.

“Small towns located close to urban centers offer an ideal blend of … natural beauty, a nostalgic return to a walkable mainstreet with a diverse offering of locally-owned businesses, and the opportunity to foster meaningful community relationships forged by proximity and strengthened by trust. These smaller towns have been overlooked by many developers as ideal locations for mixed use; that is until now,” Ribeiro says on the project’s website.

To learn more about this project, visit www.independencestation.com . MD

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