The Streets of Buckhead Pursues Certification for Environmentally Friendly Building And Construction

A lifelong resident of Atlanta, Ben Carter has made an environmental commitment to the community by seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for his company's luxury mixed-use development, The Streets of Buckhead. Featuring more than 500,000-square feet of retail, dining and residences, The Streets of Buckhead will be one of the country's most expansive and affluent developments to be awarded Silver status in the LEED Green Building Rating System™ when it opens in 2009.

"There was never a question in my mind that The Streets of Buckhead would be environmentally friendly and have a positive presence in the community," says Carter, founder and chairman of Ben Carter Properties, developer of The Streets of Buckhead. "We are working to fulfill all the necessary requirements for LEED Silver certification across the entire development, which is uncommon for most mixed-use developments. I'm proud that in addition to making the commitment to bring this new luxury district to Atlanta, we're able to make it that much better by also focusing on efficiency and sustainability."

Established in 1998 by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED certification confirms that The Streets of Buckhead is being built based on standards for environmentally sustainable construction. LEED promotes a whole building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Since its inception, LEED has grown to encompass more than 14,000 projects in 50 U.S. states and 30 countries, covering 1.62 billion square feet of development area.

"While LEED certification is not new for many types of facilities, it is very new for mixed-use developments such as The Streets of Buckhead," said H.J. Enck, principal and founder of CxGBS. "The project will be one of the first large retail and mixed-use developments to receive this certification."

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