VANESSA WILLIS, Charlotte Observer (5-22-08)
The new office towers at Ballantyne Corporate Park will offer golf course views. But they will be "green" in other ways too.
Bissell is seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for four buildings under construction on Ballantyne Commons Parkway. The designation measures a building project's environmental performance.
The buildings will have 800,000 square feet of office space and will feature green elements ranging from special roofing to solar-powered water heaters.
The Hayes and Irby buildings, each with six stories, will open this summer. They overlook the 12th hole at the Ballantyne Golf Club. They are named for Elizabeth Baxter Hayes, mother of Baxter Hayes, and urologist Dr. Pierce Irby. Both are Bissell family associates. The buildings are at the northeast intersection of Ballantyne Commons Parkway and Ballantyne Corporate Place.
The 10-story twin Harris and Boyle buildings will open this fall and overlook the 14th hole. They are named for James J. Harris, the father of Sara Bissell (chairman Smoky Bissell's wife) and attorney B. Irvin Boyle, a Bissell family friend. They are at the northeast intersection of Ballantyne Commons Parkway and Ballantyne Corporate Place.
About 75 percent of the construction waste from the new office buildings is being recycled to divert it from landfills. More than 30 percent of the materials used are recycled.
The buildings will have solar-powered water heaters and a high-performance roof that controls heat absorption, cutting heating and cooling costs. Only paints, carpets and other materials rated as emitting low amounts of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are being used in the buildings.
The inclusion of green design elements demonstrates Bissell's commitment to the community, said President Ned Curran.
"We do it because we all bear a responsibility to be good stewards of our environment, both in terms of air quality and the use of natural resources," he said.
He also said tenants who occupy the buildings will be "investing in their people by showing they care about our future and that they care about their employee's health and welfare."
The green designs for the new office towers are the latest in a string of efforts by Bissell to be environmentally responsible as it completes its master development plan for Ballantyne.
In 2007, more than 350 trees were planted on the golf course and a tree nursery was established to handle future landscaping needs.
The Ballantyne Resort's laundry and housekeeping cleaning supplies were also recently replaced with products that offer the "Green Seal Guarantee."
Maintenance workers in the corporate park use hybrid vehicles when making service calls, and the golf club uses hybrid riding lawn mowers to clip the greens. The club also uses a private water system that recaptures and reuses 60 percent of runoff for irrigation.
Back in the master planning phase in the late 1990s, Bissell built 2.5 acres of wetlands to offset any environmental damage caused by the construction of the corporate park and resort.
"We believe we should join others in helping to lead our community and our profession by engaging in efforts to build and operate buildings in a sustainable manner," Curran said.