Green Buildings; Green Stores
As laws requiring green building codes get on board, here’s a primer on what to look for in your leasing agreement and where. Elizabeth Angyal
C
ity ordinances and landlords are mandating green building materials and operational materials with
increasing frequency. If you rent retail space or are planning to lease a new one, you’ll probably need to conform to new green requirements. Many of the green requirements that landlords include
in their retail tenant leases are borrowed from the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, which is a nationally recognized third-party green building certification program. Until the last few years, LEED certification was achieved largely by single- purpose buildings such as libraries or office buildings. In response to increased demand by developers, tenants and various consultants such as architects and engineers, the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) has produced a more diverse group of certifications. One example of this is “LEED for Commercial Interiors.” This certification can be obtained by tenants who lease space (but don’t own or control the building) in a shopping center or office building. It deals primarily with interior build-outs, such as walls, lighting, painting, carpeting/ flooring. Many cities are starting to include green building requirements in their municipal codes and are starting to
130 Summer 2010 n GREENRetai ler
offer incentives such as reduced permitting fees or shorter processing times for projects that achieve at least a base LEED certification. For those new to LEED, the LEED system has four increasingly more demanding lev- els of certification: LEED Certified (base), Silver, Gold and Platinum (the highest rating). The more green building “points” you achieve, the higher the potential rating. It is likely that in the future, LEED or other types of green requirements will increasingly become the norm, as communities raise their expectations and standards regarding what constitutes a sustainable development or business.
Green building requirements Some common lease green building requirements that tenants might be obligated to meet are: The use of water conserving fixtures (for example, low-flow toilets).
High efficiency HVAC equipment (in retail centers installation of the HVAC equipment is often the responsibility of the tenant).
Energy efficient lighting (including the ability to control lighting levels to minimize electrical usage, and the increased use of daylight).
GREENRetai
lerMag.com
O P E R A T I O N S
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16