King County awards green building grants

Projects funded for ‘deep-green’ design, saving resources and costs

The King County Solid Waste Division GreenTools Program recently awarded five green-building grants to projects throughout King County that are pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification or better.

Grants are awarded competitively to projects within King County for commercial, institutional and multi-family building projects seeking LEED certification of Gold or Platinum, the two highest certifications in the popular standard. The grants are funded by the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks.

Several local governments, businesses and organizations recently received LEED grant funding ranging from $15,000 to $25,000 per project. The grant recipients are:

Bastyr University Housing Project (Kenmore)     
LEED-H Gold     
$25,000

Harley Marine Office Center (Seattle) 
LEED-NC Gold     
$15,000

Megan’s Meadow (Pacific)
LEED-H Gold
$20,000

Navos Mental Health and Wellness Center (Burien)
LEED-NC Gold
$20,000

Rainier Building (Issaquah)
LEED-NC Gold 
$15,000

The grants provide incentives for organizations to increase environmental performance of buildings and sites. Green-building strategies associated with LEED target resource efficiency and environmental stewardship, and often provide building owners and operators with benefits such as lower energy costs, healthier indoor environments, and lower water usage.

The awards are intended for “soft costs” associated with Integrated Design Process – a method of design that brings all members of a development team together early in pre-design to incorporate green-building strategies.

For example, Harley Marine Services received a grant to enable the design team to pursue advanced water-management strategies on a sensitive Superfund site on Harbor Island, while Bastyr University is using the King County grant to enhance energy efficiency and possibly attain a higher LEED certification.

The Megan’s Meadow project, being built by Habitat for Humanity of Seattle/South King County, will use the grant to incorporate green-building strategies beyond Habitat’s current minimum requirements.

Grant award projects also serve as demonstrations of high performance, replicable green buildings for the region, and highlight those organizations that are making significant contributions to local communities, the local economy and the environment.

King County's GreenTools Program helps builders, residents, businesses and governments create and sustain green buildings and developments. The GreenTools Team can help project owners with technical assistance and training, grants, and resources to help find locally-produced, high-quality sustainable building materials.

For more information, contact Ric Cochrane at 206-263-6037 or ric.cochrane@kingcounty.gov, or visit the GreenTools Web site at www.greentools.us.

Related information

GreenTools Program

King County Solid Waste Division

King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks