Striving for Sustainability: The Green Square Complex

The 98 million dollar public-private partnership project Green Square, signed into legislation by Gov. Easley in August of 2005, is nearly underway downtown. Under the legislation, almost a full city block was sold to the State Employees Credit Union for $1 in exchange for their financial backing and development of the project. Green Square will run the length of 2 blocks along Jones St. and will be erected between Dawson St. and Salisbury St. Glassed-in pedestrian skyways will connect the buildings over McDowell and Salisbury. The Green Square complex will be composed of a 4-story, 95,000 square foot Nature Research Center that serves as an extension of the Museum of Natural Sciences, a 170,000 square foot building housing offices for roughly 615 employees of the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources, a 60,000 square foot State Employees Credit Union financial services center, and a parking deck providing 700 spaces. The museum expansion will also be funded in part by a private capital campaign spearheaded by the Friends of the Museum and will also see support from Wake Co. and the city of Raleigh, who have pledged 6 million dollars in meal and hotel taxes. 

The first step of the project will be the demolition of several brick buildings, which according to a sign posted on the corner of Jones and Salisbury, will be conducted in a sustainable manner by reusing demolition materials and recycling construction materials. The sign also boasts that applied energy-efficient building technology, monitoring for potential wind and solar energy, and monitoring for rainwater retention and runoff will begin soon. Rumor has it the complex will strive for a Gold LEED standard. The Green Square Complex is slated to open in 2010.

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Rendering from Livable Streets