The green heart of San Francisco?

With a focus on energy and water efficiency San Francisco’s Civic Center is being transformed into a “sustainable resource district.”
Driven by Mayor Gavin Newsom and part of a partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), the plan features solar rooftop photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, living roofs and water conservation fixtures. When completed, the $20 million project is expected to represent a 33 percent energy use reduction, an 80 percent decrease in potable water use and a wastewater discharge reduction of 45 percent, according to the city.

Newsom said he hopes the Civic Center—which sits in the heart of downtown that includes city hall, courthouses, the Asian Art Museum, the city’s main public library and two plazas  —will represent a global educational model of sustainability.

The plan is slated to launch in late 2008, with planning, design development and public outreach. The first projects are expected to be installed in late 2009.

The city has not yet announced any businesses partnerships in the project, but according CGI, opportunities exist in all phases of the project, including design development and showcasing “innovative green strategies.”

Meanwhile, Seattle’s 10-year Civic Center Master Plan, which includes a justice center, city hall and library, is aiming for a LEED Gold rating for its Civic Square, a high-rise office and residential tower, a public plaza, retail space and underground parking.

Newsom’s Civic Center announcement follows numerous environmental initiatives the city has launched in 2008. While the city already mandates Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for public buildings, the city in August passed an ordinance (dubbed “LEED on acid” by one Northern California contractor) mandating that all large commercial building over 25,000 square feet attain LEED certification, with the standard going to LEED Silver in 2009 and LEED Gold in 2012.