STORE SPACES

New York City -- Price Chopper has  opened a 52,000-sq.-ft. store in Binghamton, N.Y., that was designed and engineered to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification.

Lancaster, Pa. -- Giant Food Stores announced that roof-mounted solar photovoltaic systems have been installed and are operational at two of its locations in Lancaster and Pottstown. In-store flat panel monitors will reveal to customers in real time how the system operates and the energy savings being achieved.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Chick-fil-A received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification for its restaurant at Montgomery Plaza, Fort Worth, Texas. It is the first LEED Gold-certified restaurant in Fort Worth. The chain has committed to build four more LEED designed restaurants in 2012, and will incorporate energy conservation measures and recycled materials into all new restaurant construction activities.

Lancaster, Pa. -- One of the supermarket chains operated by Netherlands-based Royal Ahold has installed rooftop solar panels at two of its stores.

Carlisle, Pa.-based Giant Food Stores — also known as Giant-Carlisle to distinguish it from Landover, Md.-based Giant Food, also owned by Ahold — said it had installed solar photovoltaic systems at stores in Lancaster and Pottstown, Pa.

East Palo Alto, Calif. -- Ikea said Thursday it has plugged in four Blink Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations at its East Palo Alto, Calif., store. The initiative is in partnership with ECOtality and represents the eighth EV project for IKEA in the United States.

To charge an EV at Ikea East Palo Alto, drivers pull into a designated parking spot, swipe their Blink InCard (RFID card), and plug the charger into the EV to charge the vehicle.

New York City -- The latest jewel in the portfolio of Mexican department store operator Liverpool took top honors in Chain Store Age’s 30th annual Retail Store of the Year design competition. The company’s 319,000-sq.-ft. store in the Mexico City suburb of Interlomas was named Store of the Year and was also the winning entry in the Department Store category.

Here is a complete list of the winning projects, all of which will be featured in the March issue of Chain Store Age and reviewed at its annual SPECS Conference:

New York City -- Glimcher Realty Trust announced the completion of a 4.8-megawatt rooftop solar system at Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth, N.J. The project, which ranks among the largest rooftop systems in North America, broke ground in June 2011 and began producing power this week.

Chain Store Age’s 48th annual SPECS Conference will be held March 4-7, at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Fla. The industry’s premier retail store development and facilities event, SPECS combines a targeted and comprehensive educational program with a dynamic exhibit floor.

For more information and to register for the event, click here.

Join the SPECS group on Linkedin.