Wallick Communities' The Villages at Roll Hill Earns Prestigious LEED® Silver Green Building Certification

Cincinnati, OH (PRWEB) November 03, 2013

Wallick Communities announced that affordable apartment community The Villages at Roll Hill in Cincinnati received LEED® Silver certification as established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED —Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

With this designation, The Villages at Roll Hill becomes the largest LEED-certified affordable apartment community in the nation. It has 703 apartments located on 79 acres on Cincinnati’s historic Roll Hill. The $36 million, 27-month long rehabilitation of the former Fay Apartments was completed in January.

“Real change requires not just new buildings, but a broader transformation built on partnerships, leadership and capital from the private sector – and that’s what we’re seeing here,” said United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan at Roll Hill’s grand opening in December 2012.

Throughout its 79 acres there is new landscaping and tree installations, central laundry facilities, and playgrounds. Updates and improvements inside apartments include: window and door replacements, kitchen and bath modernizations, furnace replacements, adding central air conditioning and complete roof replacements.

The Villages at Roll Hill achieved LEED Silver certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use, as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. By using less energy and water, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

“Making the project green made sense from an economic, as well as an environmental perspective,” said Wallick CEO Tom Feusse.

LEED Silver certification of The Villages at Roll Hill was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community including:

•     energy efficient windows and doors
•     new HVAC systems
•     environmentally-friendly carpet and paint
•     low flow toilets, shower heads and faucets in bathrooms and kitchens
•     LED light bulbs in light fixtures

“Wallick’s work to obtain LEED certification for The Villages at Roll Hill demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “While climate change is a global problem, innovative companies like Wallick are addressing it through local solutions.”

About:
Wallick Communities — Based in Columbus, Wallick Communities (wallickcos.com) is Ohio’s largest owner-manager of affordable housing, operating four business divisions: Wallick-Hendy Development, Wallick Construction, Wallick Asset Management and Wallick-Hendy Properties. The company, with 700 employees, specializes in affordable multifamily housing in the Midwest. Through its various operations, Wallick has developed and built hundreds of communities and currently manages in excess of 14,000 apartments in more than 200 locations. Founded in 1966 by Jack Wallick, and currently owned by his children Howard Wallick and Julie Wallick and CEO Tom Feusse, the family business adheres to its founder’s ideals of integrity and consistent quality.

USGBC —Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council (http://www.usgbc.org) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. Comprising 80 local affiliates, more than 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 167,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC was co-founded by current President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who spent 25 years as a Fortune 500 executive. The LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Over 100,000 projects are currently participating in the LEED rating systems, comprising over 8 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 114 countries.