In the past decade, developers in Grand Rapids' downtown core have set a high bar with LEED certified renovations and 'green' and energy-efficient remodels, but the new GRAM is the first significant new construction downtown to generate global attention. With Silver LEED certification basically in hand when the project is completed, GRAM leaders are going for the gold.
According to excerpts from the story:
There is a wave of green construction sweeping through West Michigan, and riding the crest of that wave is the new Grand Rapids Art Museum.
The $60 million art museum is scheduled to open on Oct. 5. When it does, it may be the first completely new art museum to open with a silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. It may even achieve a gold LEED rating, eventually.
Major art museums in particular are severely challenged to reduce energy consumption because of the exacting interior climate conditions required to protect and preserve art, coupled with the daily volume of visitors going in and out — which affects the indoor air quality.
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