Duluth’s Whole Foods Cooperative Receives Prestigious LEED Certification

TL/DR –

The Whole Foods Cooperative in Duluth, Minnesota, is the first building in the region to receive a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The $5.7 million project was recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council for its energy efficiency, low environmental impact and meeting of high sustainability standards. Other LEED-registered projects in Duluth include a downtown clinic expansion and other educational facilities, with more projects under development in the region.

Duluth’s $5.7m Whole Foods Cooperative Achieves LEED Certification

The newly constructed Whole Foods Cooperative, located at 610 E. 4th St. in Duluth, has become the region’s first structure and the third in the state to receive esteemed LEED certification, a green building accolade awarded by the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council. Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson formally acknowledged this environmental achievement in an October ceremony.

As the first of many forthcoming LEED projects in the area, the 250,000 square foot Duluth Clinic expansion, a whopping $76 million venture that opened in April, will soon be the largest LEED-certified healthcare project in the U.S., according to building performance specialist, James Brew. The clinic has already achieved “silver level” certification and is appealing for a higher “gold level” certification.

Certification is achieved by incorporating various green design elements such as energy conservation, enhanced indoor air quality, use of recycled materials, reduced outdoor light pollution, and water efficiency. Duluth is already home to several LEED-registered, but not yet certified, projects such as the UMD Labovitz School of Business & Economics, UMD Life Science Building, and Lake Superior College Academic and Student Center.

Other regional LEED projects under development include the U.S. Forest Service Kawishi Ranger Station in Ely and the Bad River Band’s community center in Odanah, with all of these projects except for the Labovitz School having the involvement of LHB.

However, not everyone favors LEED due to its cost and required documentation. Critics argue that the program is expensive, slow, and increasingly complex. Despite these drawbacks, many are still willing to pursue it for reasons like marketing or simply ‘doing the right thing’.

The Duluth Clinic expansion was primarily geared towards creating a healthier building that uses 32% less energy than a comparable building meeting code requirements. Costs associated with LEED certification are often offset by larger projects where the relative expense is lower.

For more on the LEED certification process, visit the Green Building Rating System or the U.S. Green Building Council.

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