Alliance Center going green

The Alliance for Sustainable Colorado has kicked off the transformation of the Alliance Center at 1536 Wynkoop in Lower Downtown.

The renovated center will become a hub of sustainability in Colorado as it continues to provide below-market rent and operational support to more than 35 nonprofit organizations that are focused on some aspect of sustainability policies and practices.

"We cannot afford to be satisfied with improvements that were implemented decades ago," says John Powers, Founder and Board Chair of the Alliance."Buildings consume over half of the energy we use and contribute more than 40 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions. Complacency offers only a false sense of achievement. The transformation of the Alliance Center will push the limits of our potential and hopefully set a standard for the commercial building industry."

Increasing productivity is another vital part of the transformation project. The Alliance Center will explore ways to move the needle forward through open space design, furniture solutions and new leasing models such as hot-desking. Proposed green guidelines for occupants are another way of setting a sustainability standard for commercial office space, offering a powerful way to encourage sustainable behavior among tenants. The guidelines will include stipulations such as tenants purchasing only Energy Star appliances and participating in building-wide recycling and composting programs.

Last renovated nearly a decade ago, the Alliance Center is the first historic building in the world to have received two LEED certifications (Existing Buildings Gold and Commercial Interiors Silver). This transformation project will implement newly developed sustainable building practices and technologies reflective of the advancements in the sustainability industry.

The project is expected to be complete in early 2014.

Contact Confluence Denver Development News Editor Margaret Jackson with tips and leads for future stories at margaret@confluence-denver.com.