The Status Report is a newly-developed document that will keep readers updated on the many exciting developments related to the Green Initiative in Greensburg and Kiowa County. We all know that we’ve made tremendous progress, but to see the accomplishments listed together in print is very impressive. It also illustrates how many individuals have come together and are contributing to the success of the Initiative. It is remarkable that such a small community has so many people willing to do their parts to achieve a shared vision.

This Report is a work in progress, and will be updated as new projects are announced and others completed. The information set out here will also be incorporated into our GreenTown Green Tour booklet.

The accomplishments are grouped together in the following categories: Commercial; City & County; Religious & Not-for-Profit; Residential; Donations; Miscellaneous; and Coming Soon, Coming Green. You can read more detail about many of these projects on our Sustainable Building Database, HERE.



STATUS OF GREEN INITIATIVE PROJECTS IN GREENSBURG & KIOWA COUNTY - MARCH 13, 2009

COMMERCIAL PROJECTS
John Deere Dealership (BTI Greensburg) - Anticipating accreditation as LEED Platinum facility. The building features daylighting, and high efficiency heating and cooling using waste oil. Wind turbine being used for some power needs. Low VOC paints and adhesives, ceramic flooring, and onsite education station for visitors. Many other features make this a state-of-the-art facility. Opened in February 2009.

General Motors Dealership (Dwane Shank Motors) - A very energy efficient steel building designed with recycled and recyclable content. Grand opening November 2008.

Dillons grocery store - Showcase store developed by Dillons, a Kroger brand. Store features optimal daylighting and a superior building envelope using ICF building system and motion-activated display case lighting. Grand opening February 2009.

Greensburg State Bank - Highly efficient, ICF construction. Heating and utility costs are one-third less than prior, same sized building. Elements of old building reused. High efficiency heating and cooling system. Added daylighting and ceramic floors and used low VOC paints. Completed in August of 2008.

Fleener Furniture and Flooring - First commercial ICF building in town, rebuilt in October 2007. High efficiency heating and cooling system and spray foam insulation in ceiling and walls. Business features green products for sale to community.

Fleener Funeral Home - Will construct a highly energy efficient green building. Groundbreaking March 21, 2009.

Centera Bank - Will break ground on March 27, 2009 for a highly efficient green building on Main Street.

Robinett building - One of two historic buildings (along with the Courthouse) left standing after the storm. This building is privately owned and on track to be highly energy efficient and on the National Register of Historic Places. This will be the first mixed-use building on Main Street, with an antiques store on the ground floor and a residence on the second floor. Projected completion in late 2009.

Kiowa County United Business Center - This project features 9 store fronts on the first block of Main Street, privately funded primarily by area residents, is slated to break ground in April 2009. The Center will be a model of an affordable, speedily-constructed green building.

CITY & COUNTY PROJECTS
(Sun Chips) City Business Incubator – Featuring retail space downstairs and offices upstairs, this building offers 10 affordable spaces for both businesses getting back on their feet after the tornado, and for new retail offerings. This building received a major funding boost from Leonardo DiCaprio. It is on track to be LEED Platinum certified, incorporating solar energy, and geothermal heating and cooling. Opening in March 2009.

303 street lights installed with LED technology. First town in America with all LED streetlights. Project completed in January 2009.

Community Wind Farm slated to go online November 2009. This facility will provide enough power to meet all the energy needs for the town in the foreseeable future.

Downtown streetscape in process that, when completed, will provide the first few blocks of Main Street with state-of-the-art landscaping and water management and conservation. Projected completion September 2009.

Greensburg Schools - On track to be a LEED Platinum building. Building will feature many green features which will be showcased in such a way as to provide education to students and visitors. Some of its features include: indigenous vegetation, stormwater catchment and reuse, passive solar, lighting control and daylight harvesting, on-site renewable electricity, salvaged materials, local materials. Projected completion fall 2010.

Kiowa County Memorial Hospital - On track to be a LEED Platinum building. Features include: education station in lobby to educate visitors and patients, performance measurement and verification, stormwater management and water harvesting, efficient irrigation, graywater use, passive solar, lighting control and daylight harvesting, on-site renewable electricity, and recycled materials. Projected completion March 2010.

Greensburg City Hall – On track to be a LEED Platinum building. Green features include: solar energy, harvest of rainwater for reuse on site, and maximize use of interior daylighting. An appropriate, meaningful, and durable palette of exterior and interior finishes is incorporated, including reclaimed brick cladding on floors and walls and reclaimed wood. Slated to open June 2009.

Kiowa County Courthouse - This is on track to be a LEED Gold building, making it one of the greenest historic buildings in the country. Its many sustainable features include geothermal heating and cooling, water collection and re-use through an underground cistern, spray-foam insulation, landscaping with native plants. Projected to open late June 2009.

RELIGIOUS & NOT-FOR-PROFIT
The first of the planned 12 Eco-Homes (The Silo Eco-Home) started construction in December 2008. The home is on track to achieve LEED Platinum certification. Sustainable features include re-use of concrete harvested from after the tornado, a "smart garage" equipped to house an alternative-fueled vehicle and provide energy from the car back to the house, a green roof for vegetable gardening, Projected completion in Summer 2009.

The University of Colorado has committed to donating their 2005 Solar Decathlon winner to the Chain of Eco-Homes Project. It is a state-of-the-art home demonstrating multiple principles of green building and an energy system that will make it a net zero power user. This will be delivered to the community and set up by May of 2009.

The Green Club was established in conjunction with GreenTown in the fall of 2007 to build awareness in youth and empower students to participate in the Green Initiative in Greensburg. The students have participated in school and community recycling, a light bulb exchange program, educational events, and speaking engagements.

5.4.7 Arts Center - Designed and built by Kansas University School of Architecture, this art gallery was certified as LEED Platinum Commercial - the first Platinum building in State of Kansas. Building features include geothermal heating and cooling, wind turbines, solar power, extensive use of recycled materials and a green roof. Opened May 2008.

The University of Colorado is designing a straw bale Eco-Home for Greensburg.

GreenTown Office & Resource Center – Concrete fiber SIPs panel demonstration building erected by a private contractor as a model showroom. Purchased by GreenTown and opened to the public May 2008. Sol Cool ac/dc solar powered cooling unit on display.

Kansas State University School of Architecture, Planning & Design designed and built the “Greensburg Cubed” project. These cube-shaped units demonstrate four distinct green concepts: recycling, capturing and re-using rainwater for drinking, options for insulation, and a sustainable bathroom. They are on display at the GreenTown office lot. Projected completed in May 2008.

First Baptist Church - ICF construction, ultra energy efficient building. Slated to open in March 2009.

First United Methodist Church - Insulated Concrete Form building with several green features. Opened in July 2008.

Kansas State University, in partnership with GreenTown, designed optimally green homes for off-site home builders and published a book of these plans, which are available free to local residents.

Youth For Christ Teen Center - Groundbreaking held in August 2008. Building will incorporate many functional educational green features, including a large trombe wall as a solar energy collector, a solar chimney for cooling, and a thermo-syphon hot water system. There will also be environmentally friendly insulation spray foam for sound deadening and stopping air infiltration.

Masonic Temple - The Masons bought the old Dillons grocery store, which had been badly damaged by the tornado, and are rehabbing it for their headquarters. It now has ICF walls for ultra energy efficiency.

Care & Share - The Ministerial Alliance built this energy efficient building on Main Street, which serves as a thrift store and food pantry. This building was built to LEED Silver specifications.

RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS
Prairie Pointe Townhomes - LEED Platinum for eight of the 16-homes in the development. Oakview Townhomes also have 16 units, all modeled after the LEED Platinum certified units. Opened in May 2008.

Mennonite Housing - Thirty homes are being built (some are already completed and occupied) that are among the most energy efficient “blitz build” homes in the country. All feature ultra energy efficient design by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to achieve 40% better energy performance than standard code.

Kiowa Komotara - Senior housing utilizing high lumens solar LED lighting for external lighting.

Commercial Group - Developed several state-of-the-art 1½ story homes with a traditional look that incorporate many advanced and innovative elements. These highly efficient homes leave a modest energy footprint.

Fifty independently owned rebuilt homes have been rated superior in their energy efficiency.

Farrell and Debbie Allison have designed and built a state-of the-art ICF home, with geothermal heating and cooling as well as several other green features.

The home designed for Scott & Jill Eller is a highly energy efficient, split geodesic dome made from SIPs panels.

John & Janice Haney designed an ICF, earth berm home 7 miles north of Greensburg.

Steve & Judi Kirk designed a highly sustainable, energy efficient home that captures some of the architectural components of their previous house in a very traditional looking building.

John and Lana Janssen have built a highly wind resistant ICF and SIPs panel home with several other green features including state-of-the-art windows.

Bob and Ann Dixson live in a systems built home that is highly energy efficient. Their landscape is a model of garden and lawn appropriate to the local environment.

Greg & Lisa Waters built one of the most energy efficient homes in town from ICF utilizing geothermal heating and cooling.

Roger & Susan Staats’ ICF home is very energy efficient with a traditional look.

DONATIONS
Approximately 400 low water use, dual-flush toilets, donated by CaromaUSA, have been installed in town, saving an estimated 2,500,000 gallons of water per year over the pre-storm toilets in town.

The Evolve company donated 250 low-flow showerheads, which are in use in the community. The average family of three can save up to 2,700 gallons of water per year.

Forty water-saving plumbing manifolds, donated by Viega, have been distributed to residents so far; the company will donate up to 300 units to county residents and businesses.

Meglio ESI offers deep discounts on energy-saving electrical component discounts to Kiowa County residents.

MISCELLANEOUS GREEN COMPONENTS
Dozens of mature trees damaged by the storm were salvaged and processed. They will be used for furniture and indoor trim.

Alternative fueled vehicles in town include gas/electric Hybrid Chevrolet Tahoes, Hybrid Ford e-85/electric Escapes, a Compressed Natural Gas Honda Civic, several Toyota Priuses, and street use electric golf carts.

COMING SOON, COMING GREEN
People’s Bank, a rehabbed home (part of GreenTown’s Eco-Home Project), Senior Center, Kiowa County Commons, Kiowa County Road & Bridge Department headquarters, and Kiowa County Recycling Center.

TO READ MORE ABOUT MANY OF THESE PROJECTS IN DETAIL, GO TO OUR SUSTAINABLE BUILDING DATABASE here.