Green Exchange gets landmark status
TheDailyGreen.com reported recently that future tenants of Green Exchange (2545 W. Diversey Ave. in Chicago) will benefit from lower occupancy costs as a result of Class L assessment legislation. The building now has local and national recognition from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks and the National Park Service, which lists the structure on its National Register of Historic Places. This means a 58 percent savings in real estate property taxes.
Before it was converted into the largest green business community in the country, the building of the Green Exchange was once home to Vassar Swiss Underwear Company and the Frederick Cooper Lamp Company. The four-story, 270,000 square-foot loft is being renovated according to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum standard. An HVAC system will allow for individual control of tenant spaces and increased comfort, a 41,000 gallon cistern will irrigate more than 15,000 square feet of vegetated roof and a “smart” escalator will use 30 percent less energy. The building will feature an 8,000 square foot sky garden, bike rooms and showers, environmentally-friendly meeting and event space, and priority low-emitting vehicle parking.
The Green Exchange is expected to open in 2009 and will house tenants that provide innovative, sustainable products and services and will become a destination for environmentally-responsible consumers.
Tags: Green Exchange