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Ashland development earns 'green' rating Mixed-use Plaza West gets platinum LEED certification Comment By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 30, 2015 at 4:50 PM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 30, 2015 at 4:50 PM » Social News ASHLAND — Mahar Homes' grandest mixed-use venture now lays claim to a coveted title, a platinum certification from LEED, the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design program. The $5.7 million Plaza West mixed-used building at 175 Lithia Way received the LEED platinum rating last month by the U.S. Green Building Council in Washington, D.C., a designation often sought but infrequently gained. "It's a special location, a rare location in downtown Ashland in the middle of the historic district," said Randy Jones, general manager of Mahar Homes. "There are very few areas of the valley where a project of this substance could be done and be successful." The Medford developers, who developed Hillcrest Office Park and Veranda Park senior living in Medford within the past decade, unearthed a gem when acquiring the erstwhile Copeland Lumberyard-turned-office complex that fell into foreclosure during the recession for $1.5 million in March 2012. The three-story, 10-condominium building with a coffee shop, bank office fronting Lithia Way and an underground parking garage was completed earlier this year. But LEED computations on the building designed by Kistler + Small + White Architects of Ashland weren't confirmed until September. "This building differs from our green houses in that it's just a lot more complicated," said Chris Brown, project manager for Mahar Homes. "The construction of the building is a lot more complicated than a house, and we strive for a higher level than we do in our houses. Most of the time, if we get to silver or gold (rating), we're pretty happy. To get to platinum it's just a lot tougher, but we had the location and experience of going through this process a few times." LEED is a green building-certification program that rates the energy efficiency and overall sustainability of buildings. Projects must satisfy certain prerequisites to earn basic certification ratings, with higher scores translating into higher ratings. Silver status begins at 50 points, gold starts at 60, and a minimum of 80 puts a project in the platinum range. Building design and construction, interior design and construction, building operations and maintenance, and neighborhood development all play a role in scoring for commercial projects, while homes have their own scoring system. Plaza West earned 92 points. Lighting for each unit cost $15,000, the floors are maple and countertops are quartz. "Every step of the way involves extra insulation and materials purchased within 500 miles of the project," Brown said. Fred Gant, owner of Green Rating Services and a green-building verifier for LEED, was impressed by the added touches. "I'm kind of an energy guy," Gant said. "For me, the heating components and the building envelope jumped out at me. They did things like exterior rigid foam, which they didn't need to do, but it really helped upgrade the energy value." Gant said the project's scale added to the degree of difficulty. "You are dealing with different agencies on a project of this scale, engineering teams and architectural teams," Gant said. "When you're dealing in a mixture of living space with commercial space, it takes a little extra effort to determine the boundaries of heated living space versus commercial space." Although it stands next to one of the busiest thoroughfares in town, the building shields the sound and contains interior noise, as well. "There's cork beneath the hardwood floors to deaden noise," Jones said. "There's a great deal of insulation and wood-clad windows." He appeared to be even prouder of the ductless Mitsubishi heating system, considered the highest-efficiency model on the market. "Everything is designed to operate efficiently and affordably," Jones said. "It's urban and within walking distance to downtown." The condominiums won't generally rank on the affordable housing list, although one unit falls into the category. Half of the condos are sold, with units running from $595,000 to $765,000. In the gated garage below, a Tesla is docked at its charging station next to a BMW. Buyers have come from Portland, Sacramento and Mount Shasta. Mahar Homes hopes to have permits in hand for Plaza East by late December, followed by Plaza North. When the overall project is completed, encompassing 60,000 square feet, there will be 29 condominiums and eight commercial spaces. "We felt by putting together a quality, premium project in a secure location," Jones said, "we'd have the ability to attract the type of buyer who appreciates the finer things in life as they come to Ashland to experience the arts and culture available here. When we take people through, they say this is where they want to be." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness , Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.3 , and read his blog at www.mailtribune.com/Economic Edge . By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 30, 2015 at 4:50 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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