Giving Thanks for Green Building

It’s somtimes too easy to lose sight of the positive, particularly when news – as it has been around here lately – is so consistently negative. There are still good things happening both in our industry and here in New York City, though, and so on this Thanksgiving I’d like to point out a number of recent green building news items of note that I think we ought to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

• Close to 30,000 people attended Greenbuild 2008 in Boston.
• New York’s first LEED-certified art museum, designed by Gwathmey Siegel, opened to the public.
• Notwithstanding their feelings on the current iteration of LEED, building science experts are committed to improving energy efficiency of our buildings.
• USGBC’s proposed LEED 2009 rating system passes member ballot.
• Broadway theaters are implementing comprehensive green initiatives.
• Extell’s 60-story Westside Medical Mart tower would seek LEED rating and is moving closer towards construction at former site of Copacabana.
• German bank WestLB takes space at LEED Gold 7 WTC that was HSBC credit crunch casualty.
• Law firm Pryor Cashman inks 100,000-square-foot lease at Boston Properties’ LEED-EB hopeful Times Square Tower.
• Rose Companies close on $65 million in financing for Harlem’s first mixed-income, LEED-hopeful rental building.