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Ribbon Cut for Web ls (1)Neyer Properties, Inc. has raised the bar for commercial building in Cincinnati by pledging to go green for new construction of future office space.

“Green building is the right thing to do, and all future Neyer projects will engage in green building practices,” said Dan Neyer, president of Neyer Properties. “Studies show that employees are healthier, happier and more productive in green workplaces.”

Neyer spoke to a group of 150 people at a ribbon-cutting and open house this week.
Keystone Parke, a $100 million green office campus, is the region’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-registered, core and shell class A office building in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.

LEED’s green-building rating system ensures that new development is designed, built, and operated in an environmentally and socially-responsible manner.

The Keystone Parke project took 10 years and the purchase of 44 parcels to complete. Neyer Properties worked with a number of stakeholder partners during the land acquisition and project planning process, including the Evanston Community Council; city of Cincinnati; Ohio Department of Transportation; Cincinnati Park Board; Cincinnati Recreation Commission; and Xavier University.

Ohio ranks 13th in the country, with 35 LEED-certified projects, and Cincinnati is ahead of all other Ohio cities with seven certified projects within the city limits– 12 in the greater Cincinnati region.

Shawn Hesse, Cincinnati chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, said the Keystone Parke project marks a leap forward for Cincinnati because it’s the first LEED-certified core and shell office building constructed before it’s fully leased.

“For the first time, businesses searching for new office space will have the chance to locate in a truly ‘green’ building,” said Hesse. “This project will keep Cincinnati ahead of other Ohio cities when it comes to green building.”

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory said Neyer did an excellent job with the construction of Keystone Parke. “It”s a testament to his leadership that he was able to work so successfully with so many organizations to make Keystone Parke such an asset to Evanston, the city of Cincinnati and the region.”

Sharon Muyaya, Evanston Community Council president for the past six years, worked with Neyer since the late ‘90s on Keystone Parke and praised the developer’s inclusiveness.

“We get a better park out of it and a project that’s going to bring development to the city, so it’s a win-win for all of us—the neighborhood, city of Cincinnati, and Neyer.”

Anzora Adkins, who has lived in Evanston for 38 years and is current president of the Evanston Community Council, said Keystone Parke is a “beautiful development and provides a beautiful gateway to the community.”

Neyer said he hopes his commitment to green building will inspire other construction and development companies in the region to do what’s right for employee health, energy conservation, and savings. Keystone, I, at 68,000 square feet, is the first of four buildings totaling 460,000 square feet. It is 30 percent leased, with commitments that exceed over 60 percent. Another building, starting construction in early 2009, will headquarter the Cincinnati Area Chapter of the American Red Cross Neyer Properties, a privately-owned construction and development company, is set to develop and acquire assets valued at $75 million this year.