Fresh By Brookshire’s Awarded LEED Green Building Certification
Brookshire Grocery Company’s Fresh by Brookshire’s store has become the first grocery store in East Texas to be awarded LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).
LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. A presentation of the LEEDS plaque, to be attended by Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass, will take place at Fresh on Wednesday, February 1 at 10 a.m.
“LEED certification for Fresh was achieved through a team effort of dedicated Brookshire’s partners and vendors who had a vision to build a store that was in line with the company’s overall sustainability goals,” said Rick Rayford, BCG president and CEO.
Fresh was designed with features that help reduce its energy use and with materials that include recycled content. It was constructed with environmentally friendly techniques including recycling of construction-generated wastes. In addition, it is being operated to minimize its impact on the environment through energy and water conservation and recycling of operationally-generated and consumer product packaging wastes. The new concept food store achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. By using less energy and water, LEED certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.
“FRESH by Brookshire’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “The urgency of USGBC’s mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and Fresh by Brookshire’s serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish.”
The features of the store for which Freshwas awarded points for LEED certification include:
- Sustainable site
- Water efficiency
- Energy and atmosphere
- Materials and resources
- Indoor environmental quality
- Innovation and design process
The 55,000-square foot Fresh by Brookshire’s, a new concept food store, opened in March 2011. The store features a coffee and gelato bar, an artisan bakery, organic foods, gluten-free foods, bulk foods, and expanded healthy living items, along with a pharmacy, an award-winning floral department, a bank and the more traditional grocery items and staples. In addition, up to 100 fresh food offerings – from gourmet “comfort food” to fare ranging from a full burrito and taco bar, a sandwich bar, a soup and salad bar and an outdoor grill– are prepared daily on site, encouraging customers to visit the store frequently to dine in or to pick up delicious chef-prepared items to take home.