By Kristy Hessman
Destiny USA, a shopping and entertainment center in Syracuse, N.Y., is seeking Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) certification for its massive expansion project. If achieved, the project could be America’s largest LEED Gold commercial retail project. The company recently announced implementation of its master site plan. The mall master plan seeks to certify t
he entire 850,000-square-foot expansion along with more than 100 tenant spaces included in the expansion plans. The plan calls for a variety of sustainable features for the building, including a rain harvesting system and low-flow toilets and bathroom fixtures that would save more than 4 million gallons of water each year. The building’s roof already is home to an urban wind demonstration project, but it will also be outfitted with cool roof technology to reflect heat from the sun for added energy savings. The building will also save on its energy bills by harvesting daylight and using LED lighting. Sustainable practices are also being used in the construction of the project. More than 90 percent of all building materials have been recycled. A total of 7,000 tons of used material has been kept from local landfills. Recycled marble for the project was donated to Habitat for Humanity and 95 percent of the steel used was recycled. Vehicles used for construction of the expansion have been powered by biodiesel, with Destiny buying more than 270,000 gallons of biodiesel that has been consumed.
Article courtesy of earthtechling.com