Chris Dobrozsi, vice president of real-estate development with Al. Neyer, said his goal is for all of the district’s buildings to be LEED certified.
“We’re going back to people wanting to do what’s right for future generations,” Dobrozsi said. “People are recycling more, using fluorescent bulbs and saying we need to use fewer natural resources.”
The building is the seventh LEED core and shell certified project in the state of Ohio and only the third to earn gold certification. It is the first LEED certified building in Middletown.
LEED is a green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. To achieve certification, developments must meet certain standards related to energy consumption, water use, carbon-dioxide emissions and impact on the environment.
Middletown Economic Development Director Mike Robinette sees environmentally friendly construction as a trend for the city’s east side.
“Developers are seeing more benefits from the standpoint of energy cost savings as well as marketing their developments,” Robinette said. “In terms of our immediate area, we see companies looking for those kinds of buildings.”
At the very least, Dobrozsi said every building Al. Neyer puts into the district will be environmentally conscious. A Veterans Affairs medical center approved only a few months ago also will aim for LEED certification, he said.
Dobrozsi said 30 percent of material cost for the project came from recycled content, while 68.9 percent of construction waste was recycled rather than taken to a landfill.
To help encourage use of alternative transportation, such as bicycles in warmer weather, East Pointe 200 is equipped with showers. Preferred parking spaces are set aside for fuel-efficient vehicles, Dobroszi said, as another simple way to encourage environmental stewardship.
The development also is the first project certified under the Ohio Job Ready Sites program, according to city officials. Two more Job Ready Site grant applications were submitted late last month.
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