The King County Green Building Grants application period is open now through August 31, 2009. King County Green Building Grants provide up to $35,000 per project to assist projects targeting LEED Gold or Platinum certification. 

Grants are awarded competitively to projects within King County, but outside Seattle city limits, for commercial, institutional and multi-family building projects that seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold or Platinum certification. Grant awards are up to $25,000 for LEED Gold and up to $35,000 for LEED Platinum. Priority consideration is given to non-profit organizations and to projects incorporating Low-Impact Development (LID) strategies.

Green Building Grants have been awarded to 12 projects since the program inception in 2006. Several local governments, businesses and organizations have received funding ranging from $20,000 to $25,000 per project and totaling $130,000. Among the grant recipients are the cities of Auburn, Kenmore and Shoreline, the Technology Access Foundation (TAF), Google, the YWCA of Seattle-King County, the Highline Historical Society, and CAC Real Estate Management.

The grants provide added incentive for organizations to increase the environmental performance in their buildings, which can provide long-term savings in the form of lower energy costs, healthier indoor environments, and lower water usage. Grants also helps offset premiums sometimes associated with green building, and encourage a wider range of business to build green projects.

Grant award projects serve as demonstrations of high performance, replicable green buildings for the region, and highlight those organizations that are making significant contributions to local communities, the local economy and the environment. For example, the City of Kenmore received a $25,000 grant for construction of a new City Hall, which will seek LEED-Gold certification.

"From the start of the City Hall project, the City Council has made sustainability a priority – not only for the long term environmental benefits and healthy workplace, but also as a statement about the community's values," said Nancy Ousley, Assistant City Manager with the City of Kenmore. “Maximizing the use of recycled-content materials and adding photovoltaic panels will further decrease the project’s environmental footprint.”

King County is a national leader among government agencies both for its commitment to sustainable design and operations in all capital projects, and for providing incentives to other agencies and the private sector. Green Building Grants are one aspect of a nationally recognized commitment to green building. King County has more green buildings than any other county in the United States, including 11 LEED registered buildings and 5 LEED certified buildings in the County portfolio.

Through the GreenTools program, King County provides technical assistance and training to public agencies and individual projects seeking LEED certification. The GreenTools Team can help project owners with technical assistance and training, grants, and resources to help find locally-produced, high quality sustainable building materials.

2009 King County Green Building Grants application materials are available at the GreenTools Web site, www.greentools.us, and will be accepted until August 31, 2009. For more information, contact Ric Cochrane at 206-263-6037 or ric.cochrane@kingcounty.gov.