Three Downtown Westminster buildings were recently recognized by the US Green Building Council as LEED certified buildings. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is an internationally recognized green building certification. The Alamo Drafthouse achieved LEED certification, becoming the second Alamo in the country to achieve this prestigious accomplishment. The Origin Hotel and Aspire Apartments were also recognized
They join the already certified Ascent Apartments and Eaton Street Apartments. This makes a total of five buildings having achieved LEED recognition in Downtown Westminster. Developers in Downtown Westminster are directed to pursue a minimum of LEED Silver.
Credits toward the LEED certification are accumulated through a variety of best practice design and material components. Some examples of best practice design and materials in the Downtown Westminster buildings include:
- The Alamo Drafthouse achieved significant water use reduction and created a green cleaning program for its theaters
- The Origin Hotel used low-emitting materials for adhesives and sealants, paints and coatings, all flooring, and composite wood products in interior of the building in order to improve indoor air quality; strong connectivity within the community was also achieved
- Aspire optimized energy performance and demonstrated a 34% improvement in building performance compared to a baseline energy standard; significant water savings was also realized, as 43% of total indoor potable water usage was reduced
Additionally, an on-street electric vehicle charging station was recently installed on Central Avenue, and the City received a grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation for a variety of transit-focused amenities in Central Park. These recent successes will position Downtown as a regional showcase for demonstrating how new development can achieve all three elements of sustainability, while providing high-value, cost-effective amenities for Westminster residents and businesses.
