Description
The City of Saint Paul adopted the Sustainable Building Ordinance to reduce the environmental impact of development projects in the city. It applies to newly constructed and renovated City buildings and new and renovated private buildings that receive more than $200,000 in financial support from the City.
The Ordinance requires buildings to receive certification through one of several eligible green building standards, including LEED, Enterprise Green Communities, GreenStar, and Minnesota B3. Buildings must also comply with the Saint Paul Overlay, a set of demanding requirements in energy use, water use, construction waste, indoor environmental quality, and stormwater management.
The Ordinance requires that buildings be designed, constructed, and operated to meet the aggressive SB 2030 Energy Standard. Buildings must use 30% less water indoors than code, divert 75% of construction waste from landfills, and ensure a healthy working/living environment by providing adequate ventilation and using low VOC materials and finishes.
The City Council adopted the Sustainable Building Policy in 2009 and updated it in 2018. The plan is to review and update the Ordinance again in 2023. Since its inception, the Ordinance has been applied to 82 projects throughout the City. Project case studies can be found here.