News
AMERICAN IDIOT
May 13, 2010
| We've already used the headline "Green Day" before, so we've subbed in the band's Broadway-bound album. This morning, the gray outside was met with green inside the Metropolitan Club in Willis Tower for our Sustainability Breakfast & Schmooze, as panelists talked about green architecture, green bling and green washing. | ||||
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| Mesirow Financial's Erik Pampel, Goby's Chris Happ, JLL's Helee Hillman, and HJKessler & Associates' Helen Kessler, who said green is becoming par for the course. The next big thing? Buildings counting carbon emissions the way dieters count calories, says Erik. Chris talked about the many tax incentives and grant programs available for companies going green, including up to $300k from ComEd for green retrofits. Helee emphasized that property managers need to keep up green operations and maintenance after the construction crews leave the site. Helen says she's seen an increase in tenant demand for green since An Inconvenient Truth brought the issue to the forefront in 2007. | ||||
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| Leopardo's George Tuhowski says he encourages clients to go for green elements that aren't just bling but that really save energy like better insulation or daylighting. ComEd's Deborah Kuo has helped her company use 73 kWh less electricity since greening their building portfolio (yes, ComEd still pays for electricity, and not just to themselves). VOA's Marina Panos encouraged companies to think about gauging their own need for green perks before going all out. | ||||
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| Here's our beautiful audience who braved the storms and traffic on the Eisenhower. The crowd asked questions on everything from sustainable dining to raised floor systems, challenging our panel. | ||||
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| We snapped Colliers B&K's Jeff Schneider, CDI Construction Group's Laurie Price, and Exelon's Korina Tweed. Laurie and Korina recently finished Exelon's new HQ at 10 S. Dearborn. The LEED-Platinum project includes recycled carpet, wheatgrass work surfaces, and what Laurie calls an incredible amount of daylighting. | ||||
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| Knoll's Kathleen Kelly with CBRE's Jeff Krol and Neil Pendleton before the panel. CBRE's 34-person green project management team is working on a new 340k-SF HQ for CEC in Schaumburg. Neil said tenants are more educated these days about what they want for green build-outs. | ||||
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| Bisnow's own Chief Awesome Officer Michael Farber flanked by Leopardo's George Tuhowski and Geno Mattioda. George emphasized client education on green projects. Banks will need to lend 1% to 6% more for construction, he says, but tenants and owners could see ROI in as little as 12 months. Michael, who organizes events for Bisnow nationwide, wants to hear your ideas for a new Schmooze. Contact him, [email protected]. |
