LEED certification not just for co-op shoppers

With Red Stag and the Seward co-op pioneering the way, eco building techniques are becoming more mainstream in Minnesota. If the new Cub Foods in Phalen is approved for LEED Gold Certification as expected, it will be the first supermarket in the state and one of only 15 retail stores in the nation to be Gold-certified.

The store has a number of sustainable features, including:
• It's the first commercial parking lot in Minnesota to be illuminated using only LED lights, which provide 50% energy savings.
• Nearly half of the waste from buildings torn down on the construction site was recycled and reused as fill. An estimated 75% of the building construction waste will be recycled and turned into other useful materials.
• A maintenance-free floor that eliminates the need for chemicals during the cleaning process.
• The landscape irrigation system uses 50% less water than typical systems.