Regency Centers receives LEED certifications at two developments
Jacksonville, Fla. Regency Centers, a national owner, operator and developer of grocery-anchored and community shopping centers, announced that buildings at two of its shopping centers in Nevada and Pennsylvania have received LEED for Core and Shell certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The certified buildings are at Deer Springs Town Center, a 517,370-sq.-ft. shopping center anchored by Target, Ross Dress for Less, The Home Depot and Staples in North Las Vegas and Lower Nazareth Commons, a 206,383-sq.-ft. shopping center anchored by Target and Sports Authority in Lower Nazareth Township, Pa.
The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED green building system is the foremost program for the design, construction, and operation of green buildings. The process for obtaining LEED certification is based on accumulating points in six areas including sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design.
According to Mark Peternell, Regency Centers’ VP sustainability, the recent LEED certifications are the second and third development projects for Regency. Jefferson Square in La Quinta, Calif., received Gold certification earlier this year.
“Regency is on target to meet its aggressive LEED certification goals as spelled out in the company’s sustainability program ‘greengenuity,’ which was launched in 2008,” said Peternell. “The program also focuses on operational efficiencies that conserve energy and water, thereby lowering operating costs and providing a healthier environment for our retailers and their customers.”
Water conservation measures such as low-flow toilets and lavatories are expected to reduce indoor water consumption by 40% for both centers. Meanwhile, the use of native and adaptive plants and “smart” weather-based irrigation controllers will reduce outdoor water consumption at Deer Springs Town Center by 89% or 44,400 gallons annually. The use of high-reflectivity roofing materials, high-efficiency HVAC units, energy-efficient lighting and insulated low-emissivity glass is expected to reduce energy usage by at least 20% at both projects.
In addition, other sustainable measures at the projects include the use of recycled materials and FSC-certified wood. FSC wood is a seal of approval awarded by the Forest Stewardship Council for environmentally and socially responsible forest management practices.
Collectively, the two projects implemented aggressive construction waste-management programs that diverted over 239 tons of waste from the landfill, 83% of the projects’ total waste stream.