LEED-certified townhomes built by Habitat for Humanity in St. Paul

In 2009, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity built its first LEED-certified townhomes on Case Avenue in St. Paul. The six units were among the first LEED-certified townhomes built anywhere in the nation. The land they're on was an abandoned brownfield. For decades, it had been used by various construction companies as a dumping site. The community and neighboring businesses saw the land as a general eyesore – a barren space contaminated and polluted to its capacity. A helpless tax forfeiture property that needed heavy remediation and long-term care. A so-called “storage facility” for excess concrete, bituminous roadway, hazardous waste, wood and metal scraps, amidst a tangled mess of scrub brush and weeds.

Area schools including Ames Elementary, Cornerstone Montessori, Head Start: Roosevelt Early Learning Center and Academia Cesar Chavez were impacted. The site was often a hangout for mischievous youths and required the patrol of neighborhood police. Many believed the site was beyond repair.

The environmental challenges with the site were so large, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity required outside help from experts to clean it all up. Several tons of contaminated soils were removed, including some arsenic and mercury “hot spots,” under the guidance of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Braun Intertec. New native plants and trees have been planted at the site and the new funnel of stormwater to a retention pond has decreased the risk of groundwater pollution.

Together with state, county and city partners, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity remediated the property, bringing it to its full potential. Partnerships were developed with the City of St. Paul, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), MPCA, St. Paul Greater East Side, Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, St. Paul Housing Redevelopment Authority, Barr Engineering and Braun Intertec. Finally, an Environmental Remediation Funding (ERF) loan of $180,000 was awarded to Ramsey County for the project. Dan Bostrom, councilmember in the 6^th Ward, was also an involved advocate in the project.

Together, these partners spent five years removing pollutants, testing water and determining terrain strategies to overcome the long-term ground contamination. Finally, the land could again be put back into community use, bringing in tax dollars, revitalizing the neighborhood and making the land safe for families once again. 

Here's a detailed breakdown of the green aspects of this project.

Site management:  

• Prioritized land reuse by building on a brownfield lot in close proximity to community resources.
• Utilized durable, high-performance fly-ash containing concrete to reduce waste.
• Bought 100% recycled content drywall. 
• Constructed a retaining wall to preserve neighbor’s property.
• Enacted erosion control best management practices to reduce water pollution during and after construction.
• 72% of construction waste got recycled.

House design:

• Installed all Energy Star certified windows, which are estimated to reduce energy consumption by approximately 25% compared to a single-pane aluminum window.
• Installed Energy Star appliances.
• Installed recycled-content glueless laminate flooring.
• Installed green seal carpet with soy-based carpet pad.
• 95% Efficiency Rated heating system to reduce energy drain.
• Installed water flow reducers.
• Installed fiber cement siding.
• Only used locally sourced drywall, lumber, and other building materials.

Land improvement:

• Strategically planted trees for driveway shading and as part of a landscaping plan that will reduce the heat island effect and absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants.
• New rainwater garden/infiltration basins will reduce storm water flow rate and volume, and prevent soil contaminants from filtering into the groundwater.
• Drought tolerant, non-invasive landscaping, including over 200 native perennials and several trees, will conserve water and beautify the neighborhood.
• Utilized recycled driveway asphalt.
• More than 400 cubic yards of contaminated soil was removed.

At a wall-raising ceremony for the start of construction, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said, “In the past, many people have used the argument that we must choose either environmental sustainability or value. Today, St. Paul is demonstrating that those are not mutually exclusive goals. In our neighborhoods, we are building both sustainable and affordable housing, and we are providing opportunities for families to own homes they can afford to buy and maintain, join good neighborhoods, and build strong communities."