It was completed in March last year at a hard cost of approximately $11.9 million on land donated by the city. Cindy Holler, president of Mercy Housing Lakefront, which is Mercy's Chicago-area region, tells GlobeSt.com this building represents the first time its full complement of green systems and elements have been used in combination.

The roof has 16 wind turbines and 40 solar collectors. There is a gray water system to collect runoff from sinks, tubs and showers and a storm-water runoff that channels excess rain to surrounding natural foliage where it is absorbed and utilized rather than overwhelming the city's sewers.

"In comparing this building with a comparable one with no green building systems, this one produces a nearly 25% savings on utility costs," Holler reports. Yet, "payback is still too long," she acknowledges, estimating it will occur within 16 to 18 years. "We'd like to get it down to five to seven years," she says, a timeframe that would encourage developers.