Like it or not, dramatic change is headed Portsmouth’s way. Within a couple of years, the outdated Parade Mall office building that is currently nestled between Deer, Hanover and Maplewood streets will be replaced with massive new development. As motorists head east on Maplewood Avenue toward downtown, they will be greeted by four gigantic brick buildings with large windows reflecting the azure sky. The ground level of each building will feature shops, cafés and restaurants with outdoor patios lining broad brick sidewalks. On Deer Street, an extended stay hotel with 128 rooms will hover over retail spaces, and 28 new residences will fill the top four floors of a building on Hanover Street. The two other buildings will offer a combined 160,000 square feet of office space abutting Deer, Hanover and Maplewood streets. 

Carving through the middle of the development, stretching from Deer to Hanover, will be a one-way vehicular thoroughfare referred to as the “Broadwalk.” Lined with trees, flowerbeds and café seating, the Broadwalk will connect all four buildings and provide pedestrian-friendly access to storefronts. Tucked underneath all the development will be an underground parking garage with approximately 650 spaces.

From Deer Street, pedestrians will be able to gaze up at a colossal projection five stories in the air, brandishing in bold, regal letters the grandiose project’s title: PORTWALK.

Cathartes Private Investments, the Boston-based developer behind the project, recently announced that Portwalk will shoot for LEED certification, potentially making it Portsmouth’s first LEED-certified mixed-use development. The fact that a private developer is committing itself to an eco-friendly project may be a sign of a shifting building mentality on the Seacoast. In both the public and private sectors, demand for environmentally conscientious, energy efficient green building appears to be on the rise.

Portsmouth Public Library, which opened at its new Parrot Avenue location late in 2006, was the first LEED-certified building in New Hampshire. A number of other area buildings are now following the library’s lead. In Exeter, Squamscott Community Commons is planning a LEED-certifiable community center at the site of the former Junior High School building. At Pease Tradeport, several new developments are considering LEED registration. And Portsmouth city leaders are mulling the green possibilities for a new Middle School, fire station and water treatment plant.

But, with reports about the looming impacts of climate change growing increasingly stark, communities must look beyond LEED to address the issue in a variety of capacities. No matter how efficient the Portwalk design is, the project introduces new development that will inevitably consume significant amounts of electricity, water and other resources. Although Portsmouth has clearly taken a lead role in its commitment to green building, it continues to grow and add new developments at a rapid pace. So, are Portsmouth and surrounding communities on a sustainable path?

“I don’t think that the general trend—in the developed world or otherwise—we’re on a sustainable path, currently,” said Bert Cohen, co-founder of the Piscataqua Sustainability Initiative and a member of Portsmouth’s Committee on Sustainable Practices. “If everything was LEED, would we be doing what we need to do? I think not.”

the LEED equation

An initiative of the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable building practices, LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. When the program was first unveiled in 2000, only new constructions were eligible for LEED certification. But the Green Building Council more recently introduced LEED rating systems for other types of projects, including existing buildings, commercial interiors, homes, schools, retail spaces and neighborhood developments. Both Portwalk and the Squamscott Community Commons fall under the umbrella of new construction.

If a project is seeking LEED certification, its organizers must register on the Green Building Council’s Web site, at www.usgbc.org, and pay a registration fee ($450 for USGBC members). The Council then provides all the necessary documentation, including a reference guide for developers to follow during the construction process. LEED covers environmental actions in five main categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. There are certain prerequisites that any project must meet in order to be considered for certification. The project must also receive credits within each environmental category. For example, if a building uses efficient landscaping to reduce water consumption by 50 percent, it receives a certain number of credits. The reference guide includes all the actions that can be taken for credits, along with explanations of each credit’s intent and how it can be satisfied.

Depending on how many credits a project accumulates, it can achieve certification at four different levels: basic certification, silver, gold or platinum. When the project is complete, the documentation is submitted online and a representative from the USGBC reviews it and determines whether it meets the criteria for certification. (An actual site visit is not necessary.) Portsmouth Public Library achieved a silver rating, and both Portwalk and Squamscott Community Commons are aiming for silver.

Since 2002, about 1,200 commercial projects have achieved LEED certification worldwide, and another 9,000 are registered to become LEED-certified. According to Ashley Katz, communications coordinator for the USGBC, almost 4 billion square feet of development are currently either registered or certified.

“There really has been an increase, especially in this past year,” Katz said.

While the bulk of LEED-certified projects—more than 900—have involved new constructions, Katz stressed the importance of getting existing buildings to make renovations and achieve certification.

“The stock of existing building is like 80 percent larger than the new construction market. There are so many existing buildings out there, and so many aren’t performing the way they should,” she said.

No pre-existing buildings have sought LEED-certification in Portsmouth, but a swelling number of new constructions are seeking certification, and Portwalk is easily the most prominent. Cathartes Private Investments contracted Elkus/Manfredi Architects to design the project, and they have been receiving help from LEED consultant Viridian Energy and Environmental, LLC. Construction is slated to begin this summer and is expected to take between 20 and 22 months.

According to architect Tom Kinslow, the most obvious green feature of the Portwalk project is its pedestrian-friendly design. In the late 1960s, developers entered a “thriving but seedy neighborhood” in Portsmouth, bulldozed the existing structures and dropped the Parade Mall office building in the middle of it, Kinslow said. The development cut off pedestrian access from downtown and created an “urban heat island,” with dark, paved surfaces absorbing sunlight. With the addition of the Broadwalk, Portwalk will reestablish the connection between downtown and Deer Street, promoting pedestrian travel instead of vehicular traffic.

“We’re going to take Vaughan Mall, which is an existing pedestrian way, and Deer Street, which is a thriving retail area, and connect those two by resurrecting the memory of what once was Vaughn Street,” Kinslow said. “That’s one of the things that we’re most proud of.”

Another environmentally friendly measure is the construction of an underground parking garage. Putting more parking underground minimizes impervious surfaces, maximizing building space and mitigating runoff from rainwater. In addition, the architects will use reflective paving and lighter roofs to reduce the heat island effect. They also plan to use water efficient landscaping and promote alternative modes of transportation, with proximity to bus routes and bicycle storage. 

Portwalk is just one of the pending development projects in the Port City. Activity is especially concentrated in the Northern Tier, which is also the site of the proposed Westin conference center and parking garage. As Portsmouth continues to change, city leaders must undertake the difficult challenge of balancing growth and development with sustainable practices. According to Bert Cohen, achieving that balance will require more than LEED-certified buildings.
“We’re going to go way beyond LEED,” Cohen said.

the public sector

In December, Portsmouth signed up to become an “eco-municipality,” meaning the city has vowed to adopt a set of sustainable principles to guide municipal policy. In addition to encouraging green building, Portsmouth is in the midst of a pilot program to use bio-diesel in city vehicles, and LED energy efficient lighting has been installed at the Public Works garage and in some traffic lights. 

“LEED will soon be the bottom threshold, and we’re gonna need to go beyond that if we’re going to be looking toward the goal which some presidential candidates are putting out,” Cohen said.

The goal he was referring to entails reducing national greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050, which some candidates say will be necessary to prevent the worst effects of global warming. Such a dramatic reduction calls for immediate action, and Cohen believes most municipalities are moving too slow. Getting on the path to a sustainable future will require strong leadership at the national and local levels.

“Unless we have the political will or the political constituency to put in what we know are the best practices, we will not get where we need to go,” Cohen said.

City Councilor Ned Raynolds said leaders in Portsmouth are firmly committed to sustainable practices. He pointed to the new library as an obvious milestone.

“The library was a significant turning point. It gave credibility. It gave a very demonstrative example of how green building is a good practice,” Raynolds said. “We definitely seem to have turned a corner in Portsmouth where LEED-certified is expected.”
But Raynolds also acknowledged that the city must avoid patting itself on the back too much for building a trophy LEED-certified facility. While the library was an important achievement for Portsmouth, the city must not become complacent.
“Yeah, I think there is a danger of that,” Raynolds said. “We ought to be careful that doesn’t happen.” Proliferation of LEED-certified developments should serve as an inspiration for other initiatives and not as an end-all solution, he added. “This is not a time for complacency … Every decision we make now is crucial.”

According to Portsmouth’s sustainability Web site, the new Middle School, fire substation and water treatment plant will all seek LEED certification (go to www.cityofportsmouth.com/sustainability and click on “City of Portsmouth Sustainability Initiatives—January 2008”). Raynolds could not confirm that all three facilities will actually register for LEED, but he expects all three designs to apply LEED principles.

“The city has made a firm commitment to have the new fire station be LEED-certified. The Middle School, there’s been very much talk about it. Everyone’s thinking that way,” he said. 

Mayor Tom Ferrini and other councilors have stressed the importance of creating incentives in the city’s upcoming zoning ordinance rewrite for developers to practice green building. Nearby Epping has gone a step further than providing incentives. Last spring, the town adopted a green building ordinance that requires developers to meet tougher environmental standards. (The requirements are not as strict as LEED.) Raynolds said it might be time for Portsmouth to consider a similar ordinance.
“We haven’t really talked about making (green building) a requirement. I think we should have that discussion,” he said.

the private sector

In the meantime, developers like Cathartes Private Investments are taking the initiative on their own. The reason is not necessarily corporate concern for the environment, but concern for selling a product. According to designers involved in the Portwalk project, many real estate development companies are responding to market demand for environmentally responsible building.

“Corporate clients are much more aware and environmentally conscious than they were six or 12 months ago,” said Jeff Johnston, principal of Cathartes. “We have to respond to how we’re handling or what we’re doing relative to LEED. It’s also a marketing benefit.”

The rapid shift in developers’ environmental awareness is reflected in Portsmouth’s recent construction patterns. Cathartes was also behind the Hilton Garden Inn, which was completed on Hanover Street in 2006. At the time, developers gave little consideration to “green” design, and few people on the Seacoast had even heard of LEED.

Just a couple of years later, tenants are paying close attention to the environmental features of the buildings where they work and live. Not only do more efficient buildings result in significant long-term energy savings, but they also cut down on “soft costs,” reducing absenteeism and increasing employee productivity. Ashley Katz pointed out that most LEED constructions have large windows, outdoor access, enhanced air quality and other features that result in healthier, happier occupants.
“Your environment is heightened and it makes you feel better,” Katz said.

David Manfredi, principal of Elkus/Manfredi Architects, said emphasis on LEED certification demonstrates a “new generation in building.” He agrees that employers benefit from creating a healthier and more attractive environment for their employees.
“It represents a commitment to your employees that you are putting them in a state-of-the-art building. It’s about respect for your own staff,” he said. “Everybody’s in the business of attracting and retaining talent.” 

Judging from some of the new constructions underway at Pease Tradeport, many developers subscribe to this logic. According to Maria Stowell, engineering manager for the Pease Development Authority, at least three new projects are considering LEED-registration. One is 75 New Hampshire Avenue, LLC, which is constructing an office building at the former site of a demolished Air Force facility. Appledore Engineering is applying a number of LEED elements into its new corporate facility at 177 Corporate Drive. Also, a number of federal offices currently located in the McIntyre Building in downtown Portsmouth will be relocating to a new federal building at Pease, which will also consider seeking LEED certification, according to Stowell.
While the Pease Development Authority does not require developers to aim for LEED certification, Stowell said low-impact buildings are strongly encouraged, and developers are responding. “People are beginning to see it’s a smart thing,” she said.

the nonprofits

Squamscott Community Commons is an example of a nonprofit organization seeking the LEED stamp. The group is in the process of finalizing the purchase of property currently occupied by the old Exeter Area Junior High on Linden Street. Although there is no timeframe for when the facility will be complete, the 80,000-square-foot community center will ultimately house a full-service family YMCA and a number of other agencies that provide programs and services in health, wellness, arts, culture, nutrition, childcare and recreation.  

Executive Director Carol Walker Aten said the decision to seek LEED certification was based primarily on the long-term savings that environmental features provide. But the organization also hopes to set an example in Exeter, proving that sustainable building can be done in a cost-effective way. A LEED-certified construction can be built at close to the same price as a conventional building, Aten said.

“Everyone has this perception that to build a high performance building costs a significant premium, even though you’ll have long-term operating savings,” she said. “There are certain features that are more sustainable and actually cost less than conventional.”

For example, the building will utilize a cogeneration heating system—hopefully powered by biofuels—that will actually produce more electricity than the building needs, enabling them to put excess power back on the grid. Also, Squamscott will reel in extra LEED credits for being located close to Exeter’s train station, thereby cutting down on vehicular commutes.

“There’s a lot of really clever things we were able to do that really don’t cost any more,” Aten said.

According to Ashley Katz, any added upfront construction costs are typically recouped within two years of a LEED building’s completion.

The community center will implement a number of innovative features to increase its efficiency. Squamscott Community Commons and its contracted architecture firm, Boston-based Bargmann Hendrie + Archetype Inc., have been working with a sustainability consultant on their design. By diverting rainwater into cisterns and using it for non-potable purposes, like irrigation and toilets, the organization expects to save an estimated 1.6 million gallons of water per year. In addition, high performance, three-inch thick walls will cut down heating demands by 30 percent.

Also, Squamscott has vowed to divert 90 percent of the demolition materials from the old junior high from the landfill, donating most of the waste to the Institution Recycling Network in Concord. Some of the materials, such as the wooden gymnasium floor and light fixtures, will be reused in the community center. 

Exeter’s Conservation Commission has lauded the community center’s design for its low impact on the nearby Little River watershed. By using fewer impervious surfaces and mitigating runoff, the new facility will have a lower impact on the river than the existing building.

“Our project and the design of it is scaling back on the river and the watershed from what the current building is,” Aten said. “The Conservation Commission not only endorsed the project but wrote a letter of support to the (N.H. Department of Environmental Services). We’re an improvement on what’s there, significantly.”

looking ahead

LEED is just one brick used in building a sustainable future. Since the Piscataqua Sustainability Initiative formed about a year and a half ago, the effort has led to 12 study circles with about 100 attendees. Spawned from former Mayor Steve Marchand’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Sustainable Practices, the initiative was fueled by volunteers who participated in the Portsmouth Listens study circles for the city’s 10-year master plan. In part because of his efforts to help found the initiative, Bert Cohen won the Sarah Farmer Peace Award last fall.

“I think that there’s several different types of sustainability—environmental and social. How do we stay together as a society? That’s the trickier one,” Cohen said.

Those looking for a way to make sure Portsmouth and surrounding communities adopt sustainable practices in all realms of policy are invited to attend a sustainability celebration at Portsmouth High School on April 19.

“That will be a major celebration where the community can start focusing,” Cohen said.

For more information on the Piscataqua Sustainability Initiative or to join upcoming study circles, visit www.thepsi.net.