Chapel Hill has one green building project underway and another significant project at the proposed stage. Greenbridge is centrally located in downtown Chapel Hill not far from the entrance to Carrboro. This part of town is referred to as, “The West End.” The other project, referred to as “The Zero Carbon Project, if built will be located near the southern entrance to Chapel Hill. Both projects seek to promote human and ecological health by employing new construction methods and technologies; innovative renewable building materials; and new strategies to conserve energy and recycle materials.

 

Greenbridge, like the Zero Carbon Project, is a mixed-use residential project. The development will have 98 state of the art condominiums with luxury amenities and 40,000 square feet of retail space. The buildings will have green roofs, solar-thermal panels, rainwater runoff systems and a community learning center to teach sustainable living practices. The builders will use sustainable building materials and in addition to building underground parking will have full bicycle friendly access. Greenbridge is located at the corner of West Rosemary Street and Merritt Mill Road. The condos range in size and price from $400,000 for a one bedroom, one bathroom 1,136 sq. ft. unit to $1,419,000 for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath 2,637 sq. ft. unit.

 

If accomplished, the Zero Carbon Project is projected to outdue Greenbridge in that they propose to have zero carbon emissions from the buildings. Like Greenbridge, however, this project will be mixed use with 32 apartments and 12,000 sq. ft. of retail space, and use solar power and have rooftop gardens. Different from Greenbridge, the Zero Carbon Project would implement a geothermal system that would use stable underground temperatures to draw heat in the winter and expel heat in the summer. The ventilation system also may be powered with wind. 

 

I will continue to provide updates on these and other green building projects in Chapel Hill, Durham and the surrounding area.

 

For more information on these and other development projects in downtown Chapel Hill, go to http://www.downtownchapelhill.com