Does Sustainable Development Cost Developers Less?

Does developing a building to LEED standards cost more -- or less -- than conventional development? There's no easy answer.

1 minute read

October 15, 2005, 5:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen

"Even as the word LEED becomes synonymous with green building, discussion over whether it actually costs more to build to the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards continues - and no cut-and-dried answer is in sight.

...Scott puts the cost between 1 percent and 3 percent, especially for commercial buildings. Developers tend to look at retail and other commercial projects on a 20-year timeline, he said. Cost per square foot is typically lowered, and attention to quality - and to potential long-term returns on LEED projects - may not be as focused as it is in public projects, he said."

FULL STORY: Green builders can prove sustainable projects cost less

Friday, October 14, 2005 in St. Louis Daily Record (via Housing Zone)

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