NEWCITY Mixed-Use Property in Chicago Wins LEED Gold

Chicago—Three components of the NEWCITY retail and residential community in Chicago have been awarded LEED Gold certification. Building A (1538 N. Clybourn Ave.), whose tenants include Dick’s Sporting Goods, Capital One and Earls Kitchen + Bar, was one of three structures within the mixed-use development to achieve the designation. The property’s parking garage, along with the retail portion of Building B (1457 N. Halsted Ave.)—home to Z Gallerie and Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5^TH—also earned the designation.

NEWCITY, a project of Structured Development, is one of only a handful of mixed-use developments in the region to have attained this level of LEED certification. In early 2016, The Residences at NEWCITY, a 199-unit residential tower connected to Building B, also achieved LEED Gold status.

Some of the factors that helped the property attain LEED Gold include the fact that during construction, a waste disposal program allowed over 75 percent of construction waste to be recycled. Also, more than 20 percent of the total construction cost was spent on materials extracted, harvested, recovered or manufactured within 500 miles of the site.

More than half of the sidewalks, courtyards and parking lots of the property, along with 83,000 square feet of green roof elements, use materials designed to minimize rising surface temperatures. Moreover, a storm water management system at the property collects rainwater in an infiltration basin, helping to decrease runoff by 25 percent. Roof drains are routed to an underground tank that provides water for ground-level site vegetation.

Also important to the certification is an educational component. Structured Development designed and installed informational displays in high-traffic areas, including the residential lobby and retail corridors, to highlight the benefits of sustainable design and specific elements that reduce its environment footprint.