Commercial real estate in Chicago is among the most environmentally-friendly in the country. According to the 2014 Green Building Adoption Index, 62.1 percent of commercial real estate in Chicago is certified as being “green.” Only Minneapolis and San Francisco ranked higher.
The study was a joint venture between CBRE Group Inc. and Maastricht University. It found that since 2005, green commercial real estate has increased dramatically nationwide. However, few can match what Chicago has done when it comes to environmental sustainability. It’s just another reason why Chicago is a great place for a business owner to set up shop, an official for CBRE Group said.
“We’ve seen a marked increase in the number of green buildings in Chicago in recent years, fueled in part by developers and owners making concerted efforts to incorporate these changes in both new construction and the upgrading of older structures,” said Chris Connelly, executive managing director of CBRE’s Chicago offices.
“In a culture where environmental sustainability in the workplace have become mainstream topics of conversation, this ranking is yet another reason for companies to choose Chicago as a place to locate and grow their businesses.”
According to the Green Building Adoption Index, only 13.5 percent of office buildings nationwide are green certified. While certainly low as compared to Chicago, it’s still a far cry from 2005 when just 1.5 percent of commercial real estate was certified green.
Chicago ranked in the top-5 in “greenness” in virtually every category of the study. In all, 294 buildings in Chicago are certified green. That represents more than 148 million square feet of office space.
It’s good to see Chicago being on the cutting-edge when it comes to the commercial real estate sector. It’s certainly in line with its role as a world-class city.
To access the complete 2014 Green Building Adoption Index, click here.