AMERICAN IDIOT

May 13, 2010 | 8:00 am ET Staff Reporter

We've already used the headline "Green Day" before, so we've subbed in the band's Broadway-bound album. This morning, the gray outside was met with green inside the Metropolitan Club in Willis Tower for our Sustainability Breakfast & Schmooze, as panelists talked about green architecture, green bling and green washing.

Mesirow Financial's Erik Pampel, Goby's Chris Happ, JLL's Helee Hillman, and HJKessler & Associates' Helen Kessler, who said green is becoming par for the course. The next big thing? Buildings counting carbon emissions the way dieters count calories, says Erik. Chris talked about the many tax incentives and grant programs available for companies going green, including up to $300k from ComEd for green retrofits. Helee emphasized that property managers need to keep up green operations and maintenance after the construction crews leave the site. Helen says she's seen an increase in tenant demand for green since An Inconvenient Truth brought the issue to the forefront in 2007.

Leopardo's George Tuhowski says he encourages clients to go for green elements that aren't just bling but that really save energy like better insulation or daylighting. ComEd's Deborah Kuo has helped her company use 73 kWh less electricity since greening their building portfolio (yes, ComEd still pays for electricity, and not just to themselves). VOA's Marina Panos encouraged companies to think about gauging their own need for green perks before going all out.

Here's our beautiful audience who braved the storms and traffic on the Eisenhower. The crowd asked questions on everything from sustainable dining to raised floor systems, challenging our panel.

MEET OUR SPONSOR: WALKER & DUNLOP

Kudos to our friends at Walker & Dunlop for achieving Top 10 lender status in the Mortgage Bankers Association annual list—the only private firm to be named. W&D is joined on the list by big-time players such as Wells Fargo, Deutsche Bank and MetLife. One key to success: the strength of the capital markets and principal investments group offering financing for all asset classes to Mid-Atlantic clients. Multifamily VP Brendan Coleman originated $215M worth of mortgages in 2009 and says W&D has been able to compete with the large national banks because it has avoided carrying bad loans. “We're able to act and transact much quicker than our competition—a great benefit for borrowers in this volatile interest rate environment.” In 2010, he says the ability to be a one-stop shop for Fannie, Freddie, and HUD should help W&D continue to grow local market share.

We snapped Colliers B&K's Jeff Schneider, CDI Construction Group's Laurie Price, and Exelon's Korina Tweed. Laurie and Korina recently finished Exelon's new HQ at 10 S. Dearborn. The LEED-Platinum project includes recycled carpet, wheatgrass work surfaces, and what Laurie calls an incredible amount of daylighting.

Knoll's Kathleen Kelly with CBRE's Jeff Krol and Neil Pendleton before the panel. CBRE's 34-person green project management team is working on a new 340k-SF HQ for CEC in Schaumburg. Neil said tenants are more educated these days about what they want for green build-outs.

Bisnow's own Chief Awesome Officer Michael Farber flanked by Leopardo's George Tuhowski and Geno Mattioda. George emphasized client education on green projects. Banks will need to lend 1% to 6% more for construction, he says, but tenants and owners could see ROI in as little as 12 months. Michael, who organizes events for Bisnow nationwide, wants to hear your ideas for a new Schmooze. Contact him, michael@bisnow.com.

AMERICAN IDIOT

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