Seattle opens lab for greening existing buildings nationwide
Published 10:00 pm, Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Seattle will host a Preservation Green Lab that will study and suggest ways to make historic buildings more energy efficient, officials announced Wednesday morning.
"In most cases the greenest building is a building that already exists," he said in the marble-clad lobby of the Vance Building, a 1929 downtown office/retail building that Johnathan Rose Cos. recently renovated.
Mayor Greg Nickels noted that buildings are the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions, and green renovations would be a key part of meeting the 2030 climate challenge to which Seattle and others have committed.
"Two-thirds of the space that will exist then is space that exists today," Nickels said.
The city is putting $50,000 toward the green lab, a contribution Nickels defended, despite significant budget problems.
"We're working on trying to create jobs and opportunity for people," he said.
"Preserving neighborhood fabric is, in many cases, the most sustainable thing we can do," Dunn said. Preserving this fabric often must be balanced against the need to increase density in urban neighborhoods, she said.
Nickels said Wednesday that his environmental record was "perhaps unrivaled among mayors."
"You know, Seattle's a great place and we love a good fight," he said. "I look forward to talking about my record."