A piece of legislation before the District of Columbia Council could position the nation's capital as a leader in the green building movement. If the District of Columbia Green Building Act of 2006 passes, Washington DC will become the first major metropolis to force developers to meet LEED standards. Smaller cities, such as Pasadena and Santa Monica, CA, have already enacted similar laws.

The proposed legislation would require developers to obtain green certification from the local government for nearly all new construction. The bill adopts the US Green Building Council's LEED Green Building Rating System, which, at minimum, requires certification.

The guidelines address such concerns as reducing water and energy usage.

The mandate would take effect in 2008 on all new and rehabilitated District-owned developments; in 2009 on any building receiving more than 20% public financing; and on privately owned buildings over 50,000 sf built between 2010 and 2012. All structures that fall under those categories would have to institute building monitoring systems and maintenance accountability methods upon receipt of a certificate of occupancy.

The phased-in approach has garnered support from several industry leaders. "Bill 16-515 has a long enough lead time that we'll be able to prepare," says Shaun Pharr, senior vice president of government affairs for the Apartment and Office Association of Metropolitan Washington, a branch of BOMA International.

While the lengthy lead-time may quell some developers' concerns, there are additional costs associated with green buildings. By the DC Council's estimates, the premium to construct a LEED-certified building range from 2% to 4% of a project's cost. The certification process alone could cost up to $30,000 per project, according to the DC Council's Fiscal Impact Statement. Nevertheless, the study suggests that the benefits resulting from lower energy use over the life of a building—subsequently lowering operating costs—outweigh the expense.

Pharr is certain that the legislation will affect construction costs, but doubts it will have enough of an impact to dampen DC's development pipeline. "Given the overall strength of this market, the legislation won't prove to be prohibitive to development."

All 13 council members voted in favor of the Green Buildings Act during a preliminary reading last month and are expected to give final approvals by the end of this year.