Jackson Square rebuilding with an emphasis on green

As buildings rise on the vacant lots of Jackson Square over the next seven years, the neighborhood will see the typical additions: housing, retail and office spaces, and community centers. But there will also be some unusual sights, such as grass on the roofs of the new buildings, as part of the development plan's green building standards.

Based on these features, the Jackson Square project has been designated a Silver Certified Plan by the US Green Building Council, under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, rating system. It's the first project in the Northeast to receive such a designation as part of the building council's LEED Neighborhood Development pilot program.

Noah Maslan, the director of real estate development for Urban Edge, one of the partners in the Jackson Square Master Plan project, said the group always planned to build green. The partners independently came up with 60 pages of green building guidelines, then compared several rating systems, including LEED, to see how environmentally sound their choices were. "We wanted to test our master plan against this nationally recognized system," Maslan said. Receiving LEED certification "was third-party verification of what we're doing."

The pilot program that certified the Jackson Square project focuses on entire neighborhood designs, as opposed to single buildings. The new structures will be constructed to meet certain benchmarks, including using energy efficient lighting, recyclable building materials, and "green roofs," which help to control and filter storm-water runoff and also provide additional insulation.

James Hunt, head of environmental and energy services for Boston, said of the project, "What is unique here is that they've taken a neighborhood look. It's not only good for the environment but good for public health."

KIMBERLY SANFELIZ