Garage Culture

Talk to enough corporate real estate decision-makers and, no matter what type of project is at hand, one issue consistently bubbles to the surface: parking.

Those same practitioners also are dealing with another nettlesome but necessary constant: sustainability mandates from their boards.

So it was only a matter of time before the two themes merged and gave birth to the Green Garage Certification, launched this year and delivered and promoted globally by Green Business Certification, Inc., the certification body for the U.S. Green Building Council's global LEED® green building rating system. On July 1, the Las Vegas-based Green Parking Council (GPC) announced the first seven parking facilities in the US to achieve that certification.

Nationwide, building owners spend more than $16 billion annually to light their parking lots and garages.

"Cars are getting smarter, people are getting smarter, and parking garages are getting smarter," said Paul Wessel, executive director of the GPC, an affiliate of the International Parking Institute. "The greening of parking facilities transforms them into enablers of sustainable mobility. Certified Green Garages offer significant benefits for drivers, tenants, building owners, property managers, and society overall."

Green Garage Certification evaluates 48 elements of garage operation, programs, structure, and technology. Sustainable garages frequently employ energy-efficient lighting and ventilation systems, guidance systems that help drivers find parking faster, idle-reduction technologies, electric vehicle fueling stations, car sharing, bicycle parking, and storm water management practices.

The seven honorees nearly all employ green cleaning methods, LED lights and timers. They include one corporate HQ, two facilities developed by Brookfield and two in the Washington, D.C., metro area:

Bank of America Plaza (Brookfield), Los Angeles, Calif.

The 2,128-space Bank of America Plaza Garage, situated on four acres, serves a 55-story office tower downtown. The highlights:

• Over 125 percent oversell of spaces through shared parking program
• Over 50 percent of garage waste diverted from landfill
• Two hybrid carshare vehicles, 10 Level 2 charging ports and 100 bicycle parking spaces available for patron use
• 65 CO sensors ensure ventilation only runs when neede
• Lighting fixtures controlled by advanced programmable system

BG Group Place (BG Holdco LLC), Houston, Texas

"Wrapped in a glass façade and vegetative roof, the 1,118-space BG Group Place brought Class A, sustainable development to a downtown Houston block."

• Over 30 percent of garage waste diverted from landfill
• 56 spaces reserved for low-emitting and fuel efficient vehicles
• Creative locator cards educate patrons on facility’s sustainability attributes
• Parkers offered access to local bicycle sharing program
• Green roof reduces heat island effect and mitigates stormwater runoff
• AVI technology reduces idling on entrance and egress

Canopy Airport Parking (Och Ziff Parking Acquisition Ventures [PAVe]), Denver, Colo.

Canopy Airport Parking placed sustainability central in its development and construction. "Since completing construction in 2010 the facility has built upon its green foundation to embrace sustainable operations and programming with a variety of initiatives including, recycling, alternative fuel shuttles, educational initiatives."

• Online reservations reduce patron circling
• 160 spaces reserved for low-emitting and fuel efficient vehicles
• Anti-idling payment system integrated with highway “fastpass” transponder
• Eight electric vehicle charging stations available to patrons at no charge
• High SRI roofing materials reduces head island effect
• Solar array and eight wind turbines provide clean, renewable energy

Charles Square Garage (Charles Square Hotel), Cambridge, Mass.

Charles Hotel Garage, located in the historic "Hahvuhd Squayuh" made famous by "Car Talk" hosts Tom and Ray Magliozzi, is a 550-space two-level garage located beneath a mixed-use complex of a luxury hotel, condominiums, retail and a commercial tower. "The garage offers free EV charging, bike sharing, tire inflation, and an innovative small car discount program."

• Extensive recycling program with a high participation rate
• Green cleaning practices with electric sweeper and pressure washing
• Active placemaking with two publicly accessible courtyards and year-round public events including farmer’s markets in the summer and an ice skating rink in the winter
• Free bikeshare program for hotel guests
• Energy consumption offset with renewable energy credits (RECs)

Forest Home Garage (Cornell University), Ithaca, N.Y.

Constructed in 2009, Forest Home Garage is part of the parking system at Cornell University, which hosts a student population of 30,000 and manages 10,000 parking spaces. "This garage contributes to a campus-wide initiative to reach carbon neutrality by 2035 by incorporating energy-efficient measures in the construction of this cast-in-place garage."

• Campus-wide parking plan with a demand management system including more than 200 percent oversubscription of permits
• Active member of ITCTC transportation management organization
• Financial incentives for ride share patrons
• Bike commuting encouraged with extensive bike parking (12 percent), restrooms, showers, fountains; extensive campus-wide bike sharing program integrated into garage marketing and operations
• Permit system provides rapid access and reduced exit idling

Silver Spring Metro Plaza (Brookfield), Silver Spring, Md.

Constructed in 1986, the 466 space Silver Spring Metro Plaza garage sits below over 700,000 square feet of office space and ground-floor retail. "Energy efficiency measures, garage recycling and responsible cleaning practices lessen the facility’s impact on the environment. Additionally, access to the nearby Silver Spring Metro Station, carshare vehicles, EV fueling and bikesharing positions this property as a multimodal hub within the community."

• 120-percent oversell of spaces through shared parking program
• Online reservations reduce patron circling
• Two carshare vehicles available for patron use
• 26-percent discount for drivers of alternative fuel vehicles
• Pay-on-foot kiosk reduces vehicle idling on egress
• Four hours of free electric vehicle charging

Westpark Corporate Center (JLL), Tysons Corner, Va.

This enclosed, below-grade five-level parking structure with 1,486 spaces supports a 500,000-sq.-ft. office park project of two nine-story buildings. "As a community with nine times the number of parking spaces as people seeks to transform itself into a more walkable, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, Westpark’s parking program leads by example."

• Restaurant and office shared parking program,with demand-responsive pricing
• Active transportation demand management in heavily congested region, including ridesharing, public maps, and regular public information as mass transit system is built out
• Six Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations offered free of charge. EV drivers enjoy 20-percent rate discount
• Carpool and vanpool promotion with 30 designated spaces; 50-percent rate discount for carpools and free parking for vanpools; program integrated into access control system to easily allow a choice of carpool vehicles on a single account

The green parking certifications came two days after the US Dept. of Energy recognized 18 organizations (listed below) as part of its Better Buildings Alliance’s Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking (LEEP) Campaign. In the past year, these organizations have committed to install efficient lighting across more than 470 million sq. ft. of parking space — cutting energy use on average by 60 percent. Some LEEP award-winning sites from this year and last year have reduced their energy use by as much as 90 percent.

Nationwide, building owners spend more than $16 billion annually to light their parking lots and garages. By improving all outdoor lighting by 60 percent, US building owners could save more than $9 billion annually across the 215 billion sq. ft. of parking facilities.

2015 LEEP Awardees

• Arby’s Restaurant Group - Highest Percentage Savings in a Retrofit at a Single Parking Lot
• Arby’s Restaurant Group - Exemplary Retail/Commercial Parking Facility(s)
• Army Reserve 63rd Regional Support Command - Highest Percentage Savings in a Retrofit at a Single Parking Lot
• California State University, Fullerton - Exemplary Higher Education Parking Facility(s)
• CHRISTUS Health, a CBRE managed site - Highest Percentage Savings in a Retrofit at a Single Parking Structure
• CHRISTUS Health, a CBRE managed site - Exemplary Healthcare Parking Facility(s)
• Cox Automotive Group, Manheim New York - Highest Absolute Annual Savings in a Retrofit at a Single Parking Lot
• Detroit Airport - Highest Absolute Annual Savings in a Retrofit at a Single Parking Structure
• Detroit Airport - Largest Portfolio-wide Annual Absolute Energy Savings
• Denver International Airport - Exemplary Airport Parking Facility(s)
• Equity One - Best Use of Lighting Controls in a Single Facility
• General Services Administration Northwest Arctic Region - Exemplary Federal Parking Facility(s)
• Granite Properties - Exemplary Office/Industrial Parking Facility(s)
• Kimco Realty Corporation - Largest Absolute Number of Facility Upgrades
• Kimco Realty Corporation - Largest Absolute Area of Facility Upgrades
• Kimco Realty Corporation - Best Use of Lighting Controls in a Single Facility
• Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton - Highest Percentage Savings in a Retrofit at a Single Parking Lot
• New Ecology - Highest Percentage Savings in a Retrofit at a Single Parking Lot
• New Ecology - Exemplary Residential Parking Facility(s) 
• New Ecology - Best Use of Lighting Controls in a Single Facility
• Perry Central School District - Highest Percentage Savings in a Retrofit at a Single Parking Lot
• Perry Central School District - Exemplary Municipal Parking Facility(s)
• Principal Real Estate Investors - Highest Percentage Savings in a Retrofit at a Single Parking Lot 
• Principal Real Estate Investors - Largest Percentage of Facilities
• University of Minnesota - Highest Percentage Savings in a Retrofit at a Single Parking Structure
• University of Minnesota - Best Use of Lighting Controls in a Single Facility
• USAA Real Estate Company - Highest Percentage Savings in a Retrofit at a Single Parking Structure
• USAA Real Estate Company - Exemplary Office/Industrial Parking Facility(s)
• Zappos.com, Inc. - Best Use of Lighting Controls in a Single Facility
• Zappos.com, Inc. - Exemplary Office/Industrial Parking Facility(s)

Altogether, the 2014 and 2015 LEEP award winners are saving nearly 30 million kilowatt-hours and $3 million each year by upgrading to high-efficiency metal halide, fluorescent, and LED solutions that last three times longer than previously-used technologies, and by using controls to save energy when parking facilities are not in use. To date, more than 140 U.S. businesses and organizations are participating in the campaign and planning or installing energy-efficient lighting in their parking lots and garages.