NEW YORK—New York-based developer Time Equities, Inc. hosted a groundbreaking event on June 23 to celebrate Lower Manhattan’s iconic hotel and residential skyscraper, 50 West Street. More than 100 guests, including politicians, community officials and project partners, joined Time Equities to break ground on the site of the 65-story tower. The green residence and boutique hotel, which anticipates LEED-Gold certification when completed, will include sustainable technologies such as a green roof, water-efficient plumbing fixtures, automated blinds, and energy control systems. Demolition waste will be recycled, and the new construction materials will be sustainable and rapidly renewable. Both hotel...

MADISON, WIS.— The majority of measures associated with gaining LEED-Existing Building status include low or no costs, according to a survey of LEED-EB owners and managers. In “The Economics of LEED for Existing Buildings for Individual Buildings,” the nonprofit Leonardo Academy looks at the costs of implementing LEED-EB and how operating costs compare to other buildings. The Academy sent surveys to all LEED-EB buildings, 53 at the time of the survey, and received 23 responses. Building owners and operators were asked to identify which LEED-EB measures were low/no cost actions and which had significant costs. More than 70 percent of measures...

MARATHON, TEXAS—Newspapers guests read at the Eve’s Garden Organic Bed & Breakfast and Ecology Resource Center will definitely get recycled. In fact, they may even end up in a wall or one of the many domed structures at the five-room inn here in Marathon, Texas. The owners—Kate Thayer and Clyde Curry—don’t like to waste anything. Bottles and cans are recycled, kitchen and yard waste are composted, and energy is saved when sheets and towels are hung out to dry on a clothesline. When you put the words “organic” and “ecology” in your inn’s name, you are expected to deliver and...

MAMMOTH LAKES, CALIF.—In celebration of continued commitment to the environment, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area (MMSA) has announced the completion of the first registered Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building in the Town of Mammoth Lakes. The deluxe 1,336-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath cabin at Tamarack Lodge sets a precedent for environmentally friendly building practices in the area and will be available for vacation rentals beginning in July. “Constructing the Tamarack cabin to LEED standards is one of many important steps that Mammoth Mountain is taking to fulfill our commitment to the environment,” said Rusty Gregory, CEO, Mammoth Mountain. “The completion...

NATIONAL REPORT—Hotels are emerging as leaders in the Green movement. Many are now building more environmentally responsible properties and are even seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. For instance, the soon-to-open Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel will incorporate a number of energy- and water-conservation systems as well as several sustainable operating practices. And when construction is completed in August, the 750-room, $301 million hotel beside the Baltimore Convention Center will contain the area’s largest green roof—32,000 square feet, to be exact. So what does that mean? The Hilton Hotel’s gigantic roof is expected to reap big benefits for...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes The Natural Mattress Store as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. The Natural Mattress Store offers a large selection of organic mattresses and manufactures the Eco-Cloud brand of healthy, durable and comfortable mattresses using organic cotton, organic wool and 100 percent natural latex. The Natural Mattress Store also carries 100 percent natural latex pillows, organic wool pillows and wool mattress toppers from Holy Lamb Organics, and organic millet pillows and organic buckwheat pillows from Serenity Pillows. For additional information, call (877) 628-6288, e-mail sales@thenaturalmattressstore.com, or go to...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.— Valley Forge Fabrics, Inc. has been honored by Sustainable Florida with a Best Practice award in the Large Company Category. The winners were announced June 9 at an awards ceremony in Tallahassee. Sustainable Florida is an alliance of business, government, and civic leaders and organizations committed to defining excellence for Florida’s economic, environmental and social future. Winners of the Best Practice award were selected by an independent panel of nine representatives from private and public sectors involved in the sustainability movement. Valley Forge, in business for 30 years, recently took a FRESH look at its business model....

LAKE PLACID, N.Y.—The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, located on Main Street in Lake Placid, N.Y., has installed a green roof. On June 10, the 3,400-square-foot GreenGrid Green Roof System was installed atop a portion of the Golden Arrow roof; the project was completed June 11 by Weston Solutions, Inc. and GreenGrid, the company responsible for growing and installing the green roof system. While many businesses are taking steps to becoming green, The Golden Arrow is currently the only resort in New York and the North Country to offer a green roof. The Golden Arrow’s green roof will provide many...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Healthier Choice as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Healthier Choice is a leading producer of carpet cushion and underlayment. Its products incorporate the soy-based BiOH system from Cargill for enhanced sustainability. Ensuring superior indoor air quality, Healthier Choice’s products are Greenguard certified. The company’s products offer Ultra-Fresh antimicrobial protection against allergens from mold, mildew, bacteria, and dust mites. “No other cushion can contribute more to LEED,” says Mike Norton, vice president, Commercial Products for Dalton, Ga.-based Healthier Choice. For additional information, call (800) 872-8426, e-mail info@healthierchoice.com, or...

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Ethisphere Magazine named Milliken & Company to its second annual World’s Most Ethical Companies list for the second year. The Ethisphere Institute, a think-tank dedicated to the research and promotion of profitable best practices in global governance, business ethics, compliance and corporate responsibility, revealed the award at the Ethisphere and Forbes joint-conference, Driving Profit through Ethical Leadership, held on June 3. The list of the World’s Most Ethical companies will also be featured in the Q2 issue of Ethisphere Magazine. “This recognition highlights one of the core philosophies of Milliken—a belief that doing the right things for the...