Sep 29 2009
First Native American Office Building in Arizona and the U.S. to be Certified 'Green.'
Salt River Devco, an enterprise of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, announced today that Chaparral Business Center V has been awarded LEED ® Certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the nation's preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
"We believe this is the first and quite possibly the only Native American office building in the United States to be LEED certified," said Tim Pickering, President & CEO of Devco. "This award indicates the importance that the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community places on sustainable development."
Chaparral V is located on the northeast corner of Pima and Chaparral roads. The 70,735 square foot building is located on a 6.8 acre site. It was constructed in November, 2005. DFD CornoyerHedrick Architecture designed the building; Hardison/Downey was the general contractor. Tenants include Keller Williams Realty, Fender Guitar, OneNeck and Acclivity Health Care.
"We are a technology services company and green is an important initiative for us. Any way we can extend this endeavor into other areas of our business is a good practice for us and supports the larger community. As a leader in our industry, we want to provide a healthy work environment for our employees," said Chuck Vermillion, CEO of OneNeck.
Chaparral V was the first of several buildings constructed on the 83.3 acre site. According to a landmark study drawing on national data for 100 green buildings in the U.S., green structures pay for themselves 10 times over the initial investment to design and construct them with savings on water and energy.
"This achievement recognizes our commitment to the environment and to the future," said Diane Enos, President of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. "Everyone involved in the design and construction of this office building deserves our thanks for bringing this level of green construction home to our tribal land."
Source: http://www.srpmic-nsn.gov/