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FEATURE
AREA OF LAW FEATURE
ENVIRONMENTAL, ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES ENVIRONMENTAL, ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES

on average. G. Kats et al., Green Buildings benefits and burdens of a green Justice Center, Justice Center will shape the experiences of
and Communities: Costs and Benefits, Good and how does local leadership ensure that criminal defendants, courtroom staff, and
Energies (2008). Green building is a much participation from the community is given the downtown business community that
better predictor of tangible improvements in due weight? Right now, could design features share the location with the complex. The
building performance, and those improvements like an on-site child care facility or greater status quo when it comes to the future of
have considerable value: as much as 25% less access to public transportation increase the the Justice Center is unsuited to a region
energy use, 36% reduction in CO2 emissions, building’s social equity? All of these questions that seeks to distance itself from an era of
a 27% increase in occupant satisfaction, and an need answers before the first brick is laid. consent decrees and environmental discord.
overall 19% lower aggregate operations cost, Most importantly, asking these questions Sustainable buildings save money, create
according to the GSA study. But these benefits early builds more flexibility into the overall local jobs and lead by example. Cuyahoga
are only maximized when a proposed building design process and allows the planners to be County has a rare opportunity to make a
is conceived with sustainability in mind, rather intentional when it comes to the choices that replacement Justice Center an inflection
than trying to add green features to a project will affect everyone. point for the coming decades.
late in the process. Whether we notice it or not, the
Early planning for a sustainable building built environment where we work and
project is key, and even more so for a facility devote our time plays a huge role in our John Mills is an associate attorney
that has a mixed reputation in the community. lives. The increasing implementation of with the law firm of Walter |
The unique challenges for this type of project — more sustainable public works projects Haverfield LLP, in the
a building complex that is secure yet accessible, underscores the growing synthesis between environmental law and litigation
as well as cost-effective — mean that a “one human needs, environmental concerns, and practice groups. Prior to joining
size fits all” design approach is ill-suited to the architecture. White, R, Graham, H, British Walter | Haverfield, John worked as an in-house
needs of Cuyahoga County. A truly successful Journal of Criminology, Greening Justice: attorney for Ohio EPA and as an assistant
green building process has to ask questions Examining the Interfaces of Criminological, director of law for the City of Cleveland. He
that go beyond the project boundaries: what Social and Ecological Justice. (2015). The joined the CMBA this year. He can be reached
do citizens of Cuyahoga County see as the design and thought that we put into the next at (216) 619-7852 or jmills@walterhav.com.

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OCTOBER 2019 CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN BAR JOURNAL | 35