Chamber to pay price of greening new building

November 12, 2007
By Dave Alexander
Muskegon Chronicle Business Editor

The "green" elements of the Hines Building now under construction in downtown Muskegon are already in the design, but just how important is national recognition for them?

That's the roughly $40,000 question now facing the Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce, the building's developer and other tenants.

There is a growing consensus that obtaining a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is worth the cost and effort. The chamber -- which will own the second level of the three-story building at West Western Avenue and Third Street -- is attempting to raise the additional funds for the certification process.

"We are carefully weighing a variety of factors in considering LEED certification," said chamber President Cindy Larsen. "We want to reflect our strong commitment to sustainability, while remaining fiscally and morally responsible with our resources. We will continue to research the issue and explore ways to finance the process."

The LEED process has an extensive documentation and commissioning process along with an application fee, chamber officials said.

Certified or not, the Hines building is environmentally friendly, according to architect Alan Majeski of Hooker-DeJong Architects & Engineers in Muskegon. Mike Teeter of Capstone Real Estate -- the Hines Building developer -- said the facility exceeds the "green" innovations required of "city center" developments by Downtown Muskegon Development Corp., a consortium of local nonprofit institutions.

The national Green Building Rating System would look favorably on the Hines Building's redevelopment of a former retail center, use of water-savings measures, energy-efficient fixtures, "green" material selections and enhanced indoor environmental quality, Majeski said.

"The building was designed with 'green' principles in mind from the start because it's the right thing to do," Majeski said.

Teeter said the LEED certification is an important signal on one of the first new buildings on the "city center" redevelopment site that was once Muskegon Mall.

"I think it is important for downtown that we head this way," Teeter said of green design and LEED certification. "But it always comes down to costs and there are arguments on both sides. We have to do what is best for the community."

Teeter said Capstone would participate in paying for the LEED certification process as would the other major building tenant, EarthTronics Michigan -- a local startup energy-efficiency product distributor.

"We are doing the right things with the building whether it is certified or not," said EarthTronics President Reg Adams. "But we think it is good for the chamber and the community to be able to hang that (LEED) flag out there."

The Hines Building, named for contributor Larry Hines and the Hines Corp., is a roughly 30,000-square-foot office-commercial facility.

Pushing community leaders to invest in the LEED process is Arn Boezaart, vice president of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County and a key organizer in the Muskegon County Sustainability Coalition. The foundation is a key investor in the Downtown Muskegon Development Corp.

"Who better to signal a recognition of where the world is headed with building design standards and consideration of sustainable business and social practices than the chamber?" Boezaart asked.

"If our intent is to position Muskegon to be globally competitive and to signal that Muskegon is ready to compete on a new playing field that is already the norm in places in the country and the world, then the ($40,000) investment in our collective future is a slam dunk," Boezaart said, adding the foundation would help fund the LEED process.

© 2007 Muskegon Chronicle. Used with permission