Park + Vine neighbor Art Academy of Cincinnati recently became the seventh LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified property in Cincinnati. Here’s the news release with all the details:

For Immediate Release
Information: (513) 562-8743

Feb. 25, 2008 (Cincinnati, Ohio) – The Art Academy of Cincinnati announced today that it has been awarded LEED Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is the USGBC’s leading rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings. The Art Academy’s new facility at 1212 Jackson Street in the revitalized section of Over-the-Rhine is the seventh LEED Certified building in Cincinnati, following three at the University of Cincinnati, two commercial structures, and the Cincinnati Zoo’s Harold C. Schott Education Center.

“We are extremely proud of the recognition of our collective effort by the USGCB,” said Art Academy President Gregory Allgire Smith, “especially as it began five years ago through the advocacy of our Professors Kim Krause and Christy Carr Schellhas, was supported by our undergraduate students, was endorsed by our Board’s Facilities Committee and the Board of Trustees, and then realized by our Design-Build team led by Miller Valentine Group and Architectural team led by Design Collective Inc.”

The new home of the Art Academy is composed of two adjacent structures, which date to 1906 and 1927 and were designed to produce 120,000 sq. ft. of educational space, to achieve LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use, and to secure Federal Historic Tax Credits. The LEED program verifies environmental performance, occupant health and financial return. LEED was established by USGBC for market leaders to design and construct buildings that protect and save precious resources while also making good economic sense.

The Art Academy of Cincinnati is to be congratulated for achieving LEED Certification,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO, and Funding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “The certification of its new home at 1212 Jackson Street sends a message that the Art Academy cares about the health of the building’s users – whether students, Faculty and instructors, or administrators. Everyone’s comfort, safety and well-being will benefit for the fresh air and natural daylight.”

Additionally, this project’s Historic Tax Credits provided over $1.8 million to the $13 million project, the most significant capital improvement project in the college’s 139-year history, which allowed the Art Academy to consolidate into one facility, double its space, provide one hundred undergraduate students with on-campus studio space, and become part of the current revitalization of the historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.

Besides LEED Certification the Art Academy building has received eleven other awards for Design (6), Historic Preservation (3), Economic Impact on Neighborhood Development (1), and Construction (1).