HAUPPAUGE, NY-This Suffolk County town is about to get a little bit “greener.” On Thursday, Long Island-based marketing and leasing firm United Realty will unveil the 33,000-square-foot self-financed Motor Parkway Plaza, a combination retail and commercial office facility just off Exit 55 of the Long Island Expressway. Principals from the company will join elected officials, members of the United States Green Building Council and the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) for a ceremonial ribbon cutting here on June 30.
The two-story mixed-use structure features 10,000 square feet of office space, a covered courtyard and 23,000 square feet for restaurants above ground, and a lower-level parking garage below. Expected to receive a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the US Green Building Council, the site is located on a parcel that once contained the historic Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, home to the popular Vanderbilt Cup races that took place in the early 1900s on the island. As part of this adaptive reuse project, the developer recycled 85% of the remains from the old parkway and three old buildings into construction material that was used as the sub-base for the project.
But one of the biggest LEED-worthy features of the site is its solar array, which uses 406 Solyndra photo voltaic (PV) modules to power the building. The panels supply 25 percent of the required electrical needs for the interior and common areas of office space, says Gary Joel Schacker, principal of United Realty. The solar array sits on top of a Carlisle SynTec roof, capable of reflecting 88% of the sunlight, which reduces ambient heat and keeps the building cooler, he explains.
Schacker tells GlobeSt.com that he can’t calculate the total cost-savings that the $600,000-plus solar array will generate, but he says the amount will be “very significant.”
“It is pretty substantial,” he says. “It is still not quantified, but we expect the payback on the solar should be about five years. However, the environmental issues were a big factor. Everything that we do to cut back on oil reliance is something that is going to leave an impact.”
In addition, the materials used in the interior have low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are often found in paints, finishes, carpets, wall paneling and sealants. As a result, interest from tenants has been high, Schacker says. Recent leases include 5,000 square feet of office space for Federal Express, 2,000 square feet taken by 55 Liquors, 1,200 square feet leased to Subway, 3,000 square feet to Chipotle, 1,900 square feet to Dunkin Donuts and 4,100 square feet to Hurricane Grill and Wings, he says.
“The most unique part of this project is the way we incorporated the retail and office component together,” Schacker says. “It is really going to set a benchmark for how office properties are developed."
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