Baltimore - Green Building Requirements for City Buildings

December 07, 2010

Summary

In August 2007 the Baltimore City Council enacted Council Bill 07-0602 requiring that all new or extensively modified city buildings of 10,000 square feet or larger achieve minimum green building certifications beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009. For FY 2009 capital projects the standard requires LEED certification* or the equivalent of LEED certification under another green building rating system. The standard becomes more stringent for projects in the FY 2010 capital budget or thereafter, which are required to achieve LEED Silver certification (or equivalent). Extensively modified is defined as a structural modification that alters more than 50% of the building's square footage, but does not include projects limited to one or more of the following building systems: mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and fire suppression. The enacted bill also contains green building requirements for city-subsidized and other non-residential private buildings. *Click here for more information on the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.