Chicago-based Structured Development is pleased to announce three components of its NEWCITY retail and residential complex have been awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Building A (1538 N. Clybourn Ave.), whose tenants include Dick’s Sporting Goods, Capital One and Earls Kitchen + Bar, was one of three structures within the mixed-use development to achieve LEED Gold. The property’s parking garage, along with the retail portion of Building B (1457 N. Halsted Ave.) – home to Z Gallerie and Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5^TH – also earned the designation.

“Sustainability was a guiding principle throughout our development of NEWCITY and is reflected in everything from our ecologically responsible construction methods to our use of locally sourced, environmentally friendly building materials and systems,” said Mike Drew, founding principal of Structured Development. “For us, LEED certification is more than just a plaque on the wall. We wanted to exceed the basic requirements, many of which have been adopted as standard building code, and achieve a designation that can serve as a model for future development within Chicago’s Clybourn Corridor.”

NEWCITY is one of only a handful of mixed-use developments in the region to have attained this level of certification. In early 2016, The Residences at NEWCITY, a 199-unit residential tower connected to Building B, also achieved LEED Gold status.

“Structured Development, with its NEWCITY community, has set a precedent for other developers and brings attention to the value of sustainable development,” said Margaret Frisbie, executive director at Friends of the Chicago River. “One of the greatest sustainable features at NEWCITY is the storm water management system, which keeps 90,000 gallons of storm water runoff out of the city’s sewer system, thereby reducing the occurrence of sewage overflows into the Chicago River.”

Frisbie added that sustainable development, especially in the case of large-scale projects like NEWCITY, helps Friends of the Chicago River advance its mission of improving and protecting the Chicago River system for people, plants, and wildlife – even in cases where the development is not located adjacent to the river. NEWCITY received the organization’s Green Ribbon Award in 2016.

Some of the factors that helped Structured Development attain LEED Gold include:

• During construction, a comprehensive waste disposal program allowed over 75 percent of all construction waste to be recycled.

• More than 20 percent of the total construction cost was spent on materials extracted, harvested, recovered or manufactured within 500 miles of the site, limiting the environmental impact of material transportation.

• A storm water management system collects rainwater in an in­filtration basin, helping to decrease runoff by 25 percent. Roof drains are routed to an underground tank that provides water for ground-level site vegetation.

• More than 50 percent of the roads, sidewalks, courtyards and parking lots, along with 83,000 square feet of green roof elements, use technology and materials designed to minimize rising surface temperatures, reducing overall environmental impact.

• Low-flow water f­ixtures help NEWCITY reduce water consumption by 30 percent.

Also integral to NEWCITY’s LEED Gold certification is an educational component, which contributed to the property’s overall score. Structured Development designed and installed informational displays in high-traffic areas, including the residential lobby and retail corridors, to highlight the benefits of sustainable design and specific elements of NEWCITY that reduce its environment footprint.

“Achieving LEED certification at any level for a mixed-use project is difficult, so it speaks to Structured Development’s commitment to the neighborhood and to sustainability in general,” said Brian Imus, executive director at the U.S. Green Building Council of Illinois. “NEWCITY has set a higher benchmark for future mixed-use development in Chicago.”

Located at the intersection of Clybourn Avenue and Halsted Street, in the heart of the Clybourn Corridor, NEWCITY was built on land that formerly housed the New City YMCA, which served the Cabrini-Green public housing towers and surrounding neighborhood. Completed in 2015, the development includes more than 390,000 square feet of retail/commercial space across three buildings, as well as the 19-story luxury rental tower and nearly 2 acres of landscaped green space, including a public plaza that hosts live concerts and other community events.

Easily accessible via the North/Clybourn Red Line station, located a half-block northwest of the property, NEWCITY is home to a variety of shops, restaurants and entertainment venues, including a 14-screen ArcLight Cinemas movie theater and a 16-lane Kings Bowl bowling alley. The development also includes a two-level, 83,678-square-foot Mariano’s grocery store.

“After years of thoughtful planning and development, we are proud to bring this level of sustainable design to such a high-profile project,” said Drew.

About Structured Development

Structured Development is a Chicago-based real estate development company formed in January 2002 to pursue unique real estate development opportunities. The company thrives on engaging in complex real estate transactions encompassing a range of property types, including retail, residential, mixed-use and industrial. Whether working with partners or independently, Structured Development strives to unlock and enhance the unseen value of real estate, simultaneously enriching urban and suburban landscapes through sustainable and innovative development practices. For more information, visit www.strdev.com.