Eco-friendly Project For Mecklenburg County
April 6, 2009 by Victoria Stankard · 3 Comments
On the west side in Mecklenburg County, there are pockets of eco-friendly development in the works. One project in particular is the revitalization of the old Freedom Mall building located at the corner of Freedom Drive and Ashley Road. The mall was built in the early 60s and was one of the first in Mecklenburg County. It has been mostly vacant since the late 90s when Target and other retailers left.
Mecklenburg County purchased Freedom Mall and the 36 surrounding areas in 2003 for $6.5 million with plans of converting it into county offices. The exterior has been updated with a more modern and industrial look along with an eco-friendly blend of deep greens, tans, red glass and metal. Once the design is complete, Mecklenburg County plans to get certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Program or LEED.
The plans for the building are filled with green features which include: photovoltaic roof panels to power a portion of the building, ice created by chillers to help cool the building on peak electrical consumption days, rain gardens that filter and clean surface water in the parking lot before it drains into the storm sewer and a parking lot made of light colored fiber glass reinforced concrete to reflect rather than absorb sunlight.
The department of Social Services and about half of the county’s Information Services and Technology moved to the site in February of 2007. The rest of the IST Department along with Hahns real estate serves group is slated to move in this year.
Eco-friendly Real Estate in Charlotte NC
Certified EcoBrokers are real estate professionals who care about the environment and want to promote energy-efficient and “green” features in homes and buildings. Leigh Brown, Charlotte North Carolina’s premier real estate broker is an EcoBrokerCertified® professional dedicated to helping her clients market their properties with green features we well as helping buyers save money and live comfortably, through environmentally-sensitive choices.
If you are looking to buy eco-friendly real estate property in the Charlotte metro area, give Leigh Brown a call today.
Leigh Brown, aka The Real Estate Diva, is a native of Concord NC in the Charlotte area. She grew up on a farm at the edge of Cabarrus County, still goes to the same church she grew up in (home of the world famous Mallard Creek Barbecue!), but has become a leader in area real estate through constant learning and continually upgrading technology to better serve buyer and seller clients. Leigh does indeed have a reputation as a barracuda-when it comes to protecting client interests. Her softer side is reserved for her husband and two kids who provide a constant source of joy-and entertainment
Hi Leigh,
You’re doing all of us a good service by promoting the environment’s cause in your practice. I am a Realtor myself and I would now look into making my practice “Green” as well.
Cheers,
Nicole
I am glad to see that professionals in Mecklenburg County are going green with their practice as well. I am currently starting a cleaning services company in which will be all “green”.
Leigh,
That project sounds incredible! I really hope this new green movement is more than just a fad, especially in Charlotte. I am excited for the day when we will have no more smog in the city.
Scott