Editorial: Fairview leads the way with LEED efforts

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When the new Fairview Clinic opens in March in Rosemount it will be a first. Not just the first full-service medical clinic in the city but the first building to receive LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The certification is an indication the building meets standards related to environmental responsibility. The rating is based on everything from the building’s location to the materials used to the layout of the building itself. The Rosemount clinic is designed with windows at the end of all of its hallways to ensure as much natural light as possible is available.

Getting the certification is not easy. Environmentally friendly building materials are often more expensive than less green alternatives. But there are advantages down the line in the form of energy savings and a reduced impact on the environment.

Building green buildings is also getting easier. Fairview facility manager Dan Harrington said prices for the building materials used in the Rosemount clinic were much closer to normal than were the green materials used for Fairview’s first LEED-certified clinic.

We hope that means the move toward greener buildings is catching on. Other Rosemount organizations, most notably Dakota County Technical College with its Green Campus initiative, have made moves toward reducing their impact on the environment.

But there is always room for more. There will be a lot of construction in Rosemount over the next several years. Think of the benefits if those buildings strive for the same kind of environmental responsibility.

Tags: fairview rosemount clinic, leed certification, opinion