A group of property owners and operators with more than 60 buildings in downtown Grand Rapids – representing nearly 10 million square feet of downtown real estate – today announced the establishment of the Grand Rapids 2030 District. Grand Rapids joins the ranks of leading-edge cities across the nation working on innovative solutions to reduce energy use, water consumption and transportation emissions in downtown areas.
Initiated in Seattle in 2011, 2030 Districts are unique private/public partnerships that bring together property owners and managers with local governments, businesses, and community stakeholders through a common goal of reducing energy use, water use, and transportation emissions called for by Architecture 2030 in its 2030 Challenge for Planning. The 2030 Challenge includes specific targets, which were adopted by the Grand Rapids 2030 District. These targets include: •For existing buildings, a 50 percent reduction in energy use across the district by 2030 compared to a 2003 national benchmark of similar buildings, as well as 50 percent reductions in water use and emissions from transportation.
For new buildings and major renovations, an immediate reduction in building energy use by 50 percent compared to the 2003 national benchmark, with additional targets getting to net-zero energy use by 2030. New buildings also seek to immediately reduce their water use and transportation emissions by 50 percent when compared to the current district average.
Grand Rapids joins the ranks of other 2030 Districts located in Albuquerque, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle, Stamford (CT), and Toronto. Together the districts represent more than 250 million square feet of committed real estate.
A newly formed 2030 District Leadership Council will guide the on-going effort to build a high-performance building district that contributes to the vibrancy and sustainability of downtown Grand Rapids over the next 15 years. The U.S. Green Building Council – West Michigan Chapter (USGBC-WM) will administer the district, and USGBC-WM Executive Director Cheri Holman will serve as the district’s director. The Grand Rapids 2030 District Leadership Council includes:
•Drew Coppess, 616 Development, chair
•Eddie Tadlock, SMG Group, vice-chair
•Scott Ferguson, Rockford Construction, secretary
•Keith Winn, Catalyst Partners, treasurer
•Cheri Holman, U.S. Green Building Council of West Michigan, director
•Dr. Haris Alibašić, City of Grand Rapids
•David Bell, Progressive AE
•Nate Carver, Consumers Energy
•Sarah Chartier, Spectrum Health
•Jim Monterusso, Veolia Energy
•Dan Scripps, Institute for Energy Innovation (IEI)
IEI worked with a number of other organizations, including the West Michigan Chapter of the US Green Building Council, the City of Grand Rapids’s Office of Energy and Sustainability, the Wege Foundation, and others to facilitate the establishment of the Grand Rapids 2030 District, which was done in record time and now boasts more committed downtown real estate than other leading cities like San Antonio and San Francisco.
Source: MIEIBC