"Eco-friendly Buildings"
by Alan J. Wax

Newsday - October 20, 2003

...text from article below...

Peter Caradonna wants to make Long Island greener.

As the president of the recently formed Long Island chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, the third-generation East Setauket architect is promoting green buildings - structures that are healthier for their occupants, use less energy and produce less pollution.

The group plans to develop educational programs aimed at showing Long Island developers and government officials that deesigning and constructing green buildings, while initially more expensive, produce long-term savings, and result in better environments for living, working and schooling, said Caradonna.

"We're here to answer the questions," said Caradonna, who noted he was one of the first members of the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council, an organization of more than 3,000 architects, contractors and suppliers formed to promote and set standards for green buildings. "Does it cost more, how long does it take, what are the financial paybacks? All of those questions are easily answered," he said.

Green Buildings, Caradonna said, are becoming easier to justify in economic and environmental terms.

Caradonna said the Long Island group, whose members represent a range of building industry interests, plans to work with municipalities to develop building codes and economic incentives that encourage green construction. Arlington, VA, he noted, allows developers to construct larger buildings if they meet the national councul's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards. Larger buildings would generate additional tax revenues for a town, he added.

Achieving the group's aims won't be easy Caradonna admitted. Nevertheless, "Once we see the first few [green projects] go up, we'll see a change in the marketplace." Most likely, he said, the first green structures will be built for municipalities, adding that he is discussing such a building with his local fire district.

The Long Island chapter's first montly meeting, held Oct. 8 in Farmingdale, attracted about 50, who heard George Aridas, a senior vice president of Garden City-based Albanese Development Corp. describe its recently opened green apartment building in Manhattan's Battery Park City. The building, The Solaire, features photovoltaic cells to generate power, a waste-water recucling system and energy-efficient windows, among other things. The building is 88 percent leased and 65 percent occupied.

"There should be an outreach to owners and developers. ... We can do greener development," he told his audience. "It's long-term value. That's what green design takes into consideration." Aridas said rents in the Solaris are $3.50 per square foot higher than in nearby buildings, generating $13 million more annually for its owner. As a result, he said, "Banks and investors now get green."