Wal-Mart’s new Oregon store to have state’s largest green roof

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores said Friday that its new store in Portland, Ore., will feature the state’s largest green roof.



According to a report by Oregon’s Daily Journal of Commerce, the 90,000-sq.-ft. store, which broke ground Friday in North Portland, will be topped by a 40,600-sq.-ft. green roof, surpassing by more than 10,000 sq. ft. the current largest green roof over the Ramona apartment complex in Portland.



The report said that the Bureau of Environmental Services will use the roof to conduct a three-year water run-off performance study.



Each of the green roof’s three sections will have different soil levels to allow the city to determine which level is most effective in reducing stormwater runoff. One of the sections will feature a rougher soil type, which will provide information on what sort of plant life can survive in it. Additionally, certain sections will have different habitat features, such as water basins or compost piles, which could help attract animals, according to the report.



Rachel Wall, senior manager of community affairs for Wal-Mart, said that the retailer has done only one project like this before, in Chicago. The company chose Portland as the next location for a green roof because of its moderate climate, Wall told DJC. The new store is slated to open fall 2013.



The Audubon Society of Portland and the Urban Greenspaces Institute were involved in the roof design process.