Green Public Buildings

Western New York makes the periodic cameo appearance here at gbNYC, usually accompanied by a host of caveats. "Yes, the air in Buffalo is 64% rust," for instance, "but it has potential as a photovoltaic manufacturing center, maybe?" Or, "sure, Buffalo is shrinking and drowning in sadness and produced Wolf Blitzer, but it's actually got a few nice LEED-certified buildings." But while it's true that times are generally pretty tough in Western New York, the stirrings of green consciousness in the region's faded metropoles is good news any way you slice it. In fact, while Niagara Falls new, $47 million 135,000 square-foot, LEED-certified Municipal Complex is an attractively designed, intelligently realized structure worthy of note in its own right, how it came to be is even more encouraging.