Mueller Austin Among Best Green Real Estate in U.S.

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Mueller Austin Among Best Green Real Estate in U.S.

Posted at Texas Real Estate Experts by Dee Copeland

Feb. 24, 2008

Tagged with: austin, build, developer, green, mueller austin

We've been celebrating our own Green Week here at the Texas Realty Blog.

Monday, we provided some background on the topic and pointed to green certifications and events that are coming to Austin and Texas.
Wednesday was an addition to our popular Gotcha Guide™ series where we gave you 5 Quick, Easy Green Home Fixes that you can do today for low cost.

Today, we'll honor top green real estate communities and why they are successful.

CAN GREEN BE AFFORDABLE AND LOOK "NORMAL"?

Some of my clients are custom green home builders who specialize in infill development.

It can be challenging to build a high-quality, beautiful green home in an existing neighborhood while trying to keep prices affordable. If you find a good green custom home builder, the home won't look odd for an area...or too cookie cutter. Affordable development is often achievable through through tax incentives and programs.

These green real estate developments took it a step further and built entire green communities that are sustainable, diverse, and walkable, the principals of new urbanism.

Many made strides that set the bar for other home builders and developers in this arena.

TOP GREEN REAL ESTATE COMMUNITIES THAT DARED TO BE DIFFERENT

Here are my favorites from Natural Home Magazine's Top 10 Eco-Friendly Neighborhoods.

Greenbridge, Chapel Hill, N.C A downtown redevelopment project that promotes human and ecological health. About 75 percent of the materials from the original demolition have been reused.

Stapleton, Denver A former airport, Stapleton is the largest urban-infill redevelopment project in the United States, with 47,000 acres of reclaimed land a few minutes from the center of the city. The development is in the LEED pilot program.

This 340-acre brownfield redevelopment on the former Charleston Naval base will house 7,000 families when it's complete. Homes are being built to LEED standards with solar and geothermal energy available.

Pringle Creek Community, Salem, Ore. The community integrates 130 carbon-neutral /net-zero residences with LEED-certified retail and community buildings.

ON THE LIST...MUELLER AUSTIN, STILL ONE OF THE TOP GREEN COMMUNITIES IN THE U.S.

The Mueller Austin redevelopment made the list, of course. I'm on the City of Austin advisory commission for the 711-acre redevelopment. Mueller was most closely modeled after Stapleton, Denver.

Mueller Austin includes several lakes, a vibrant town center, and integrated transit to keep the community connected while reducing the need for multiple family cars. The Seton Children's Medical Center at Mueller is among the greenest hospitals in the nation. Seton also moved their headquarters to Mueller, which will host University of Texas' medical research facilities. The new Austin Children's Shelter breaks ground next week at Mueller.

3-Star Green Homes are Currently Available from Standard Pacific at Mueller.
5-Star Green Homes are Now Available from Streetman Homes at Mueller.

Read about the rest of the top green real estate communities at Natural Home Magazine's website.

LIKE THIS TOPIC? HERE'S ADDITIONAL GREEN READING