Kraft Distribution Center Tagged As LEED-CI Gold Facility

May 27, 2008

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The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has recognized an 800,000-square-foot Kraft Foods distribution center near Chicago for its advanced environmental design.

ProLogis, a manager and developer of distribution facilities, completed construction of the Kraft distribution center in Morris, Ill., last year. Building improvements recently completed under the USGBC’s LEED Gold Certification program for Commercial Interiors make the 800,000-square-foot Chicago-area distribution center Kraft’s first distribution center to receive LEED certification and the largest facility of its kind in the world to achieve LEED-CI Gold Certification.

Elements of environmental design used in the building include energy-efficient lighting resulting in a 60-percent reduction in lighting energy usage; an HVAC ventilation system that improves air quality and reduces power consumption by 40 percent; the use of recycled and locally sourced materials during construction, with nearly 100 percent of construction debris diverted to recycling centers; and the use of wood-based construction materials harvested from Forest Stewardship Council certified forests totaling nearly 80 percent.

ProLogis, which has submitted nine other warehouses for LEED certification review, has 8.3-million-square-feet in the U.S. under design or construction to meet LEED standards and has called for all its new development in the U.S. to comply with LEED sustainability guidelines.

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