A $2 billion Aurora project will be among the first in Colorado to take part in a nationwide effort to set sustainable building and planning standards for residential developments.
Horizon City Center, at the southwest corner of Interstate 70 and E-470, will participate in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) pilot program.
The 500-acre project, being developed by Lend Lease Communities, will combine commercial, retail and residential uses. Lend Lease plans to break ground on the project early next year.
The nationally accepted benchmark for design construction and operation of green buildings, LEED provides owners and operators with the tools they need to have a measurable impact on their buildings’ performance.
LEED-ND is the new proposed standard that goes beyond individual buildings and looks at developments as a whole. The rating system integrates principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into the first national standard for neighborhood design.
Feedback gathered from developers in the pilot program will be incorporated into the final LEED-ND guidelines, expected to be released next year.
Staff writer Margaret Jackson can be reached at 303-954-1473 or at mjackson@denverpost.com
