A few updates or interesting items I encountered this month:
Green Mall Expansion
In November, I wrote about a troubled mall expansion in Syracuse intended to showcase green construction technologies. The Wall Street Journal reported that the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division, affirming a lower court decision, ruled that Citigroup must continue to fund a $155 million construction loan to Destiny USA Holdings. The developer must post a $15 million bond before the bank must fund the remainder of the project. Look out for changes in determination of default criteria in construction loan agreements.
Clean Diesel
The Associated General Contractors of America and the Clean Air Task Force lobbied
Congress to let states mandate the use of clean-diesel equipment for federally funded highway construction. The New York Times reported that the two groups want new legislation to authorize states to require diesel emissions reductions at construction sites and to cover the cost of retrofitting or repowering equipment manufactured to meet earlier emissions standards. Under the plan, states would first require contractors who successfully bid for a project to identify the off-road diesel equipment they plan to use during the construction process. States would then consider a U.S. EPA-approved measure for cutting emissions from the equipment and issue orders to the contractors requiring that they pursue the best of the emissions-reducing options. Federal funds would be used to reimburse the contractors, according to the Times. Anti-idling and alternative fuel policies are easy to implement and cost effective. Are you ready now for these guidelines? Why not?
Emission Footprint Tool
The Rocky Mountain Institute has developed an assessment tool for reducing carbon emissions from building construction projects called Green Footstep. According to the website, the Green Footstep tool can be used on residential and commercial new and retrofit building construction projects, from pre-design through occupancy. The tool assesses design's total carbon footprint due to site development, construction, and operation; helps designers and other project stakeholders set carbon emissions goals and design targets; identifies ways to meet the Architecture 2030 Challenge, earn credits in green building rating systems, and achieve other goals; and compliments a financial model (based on life cycle cost analysis) to provide the most comprehensive support for building design decisions. The tool is online and FREE.
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