Pittsburgh set to be leader in green building, once again

Have you ever visited Pittsburgh? It is a city in southwestern Pennsylvania where the confluence of the Allegheny River and Monongahela River forms the Ohio River; long an important urban industrial area; site of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. Even if you did visit the city, it may be a new experience next time. Reason? It is likely that lots of green buildings may dominate the city’s skyline before long.

Is this a castle in the sky? If not, how is it possible? The sole credit, if the dream ever turns into a reality, will go to the new rules that got their first approval from council and as per exerts, owing to the regulation development projects funded through the city of Pittsburgh would have a green string attached. The rule states categorically if developers want tax-increment financing subsidies — the most potent form of city aid — they would have to meet environmental standards.

On the word of Councilman William Peduto, who authored the legislation, this is the most commendable approach on the part of the city of Pittsburgh, once a leader in green building and hence, it can restore its glory of the past.

“We certainly aren’t going ahead of the rest of the country,” he said. Some cities “are creating green standards for every new building” notwithstanding whether there’s a public subsidy.
The General Assembly, in the meantime, is considering its own environmental rules for large construction backed by state aid.

It has also been learnt that the city ordinance would stipulate that any TIF-backed building meets the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver standard. However, if a developer took a TIF, and then failed to get the silver rating, it would be fined 1 percent of construction costs and this reality makes the contention more passionate.

Is the approach feasible? “If you know what [the environmental requirement] is up front, and you know what you’re supposed to do and you plan accordingly, you can make a decision on what’s a viable alternative,” said Todd Reidbord, whose Walnut Capital Management is building the LEED-rated, TIF-backed, state-aided Bakery Square complex in Larimer. “I think green building is where everyone is heading.”