Green Building Design and Construction

The City is committed to reducing the environmental impact of our new building projects.  We strive for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification when possible.

• The newly-renovated Lawrence Public Library achieved LEED Gold certification for its innovative energy and water saving design features:
  • The “core” of the building was re-used in the new design, with many of the structural elements from the old library incorporated into the new design.
  • 75% of the construction waste was recycled or re-used rather than sent to a landfill.
  • The building uses 30% less water than a typical building by using low-flow water fixtures.
  • 75% of regularly occupied spaces have daylight and views to the surrounding downtown neighborhood.
  • Building materials included recycled materials, certified wood, and locally-sourced materials.
  • The building uses less energy than a typical building through efficient heating, cooling, and lighting systems.

• The City also encourages private developers to utilize LEED certification when feasible. We offer economic development incentives to encourage LEED construction(PDF, 546KB). (A project proposed to be constructed in compliance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria may receive, over the baseline amount, an additional 5% property tax abatement for “Certified” or “Silver” certification and an additional 10% property tax abatement for “Gold” or “Platinum” certification).