On November 13th, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded a Silver rating to the Jackson Sq. Master Plan. The designation as a LEED ND Silver certified plan was made by the council's leadership in energy and environmental design for neighborhood development program. Jackson Sq. is the 18th LEED ND certified project in the world and the first in the Northeastern U.S.
The new Jackson Sq. was conceived through a multi-year planning process by a collaborative of local organizations appointed by mayor Menino in 1995. The community envisions a vibrant, mixed-use, environmentally sustainable transit-oriented development that includes housing, retail and office space and two major community facilities for youth and families. The new neighborhood will rise on 11 acres of mostly vacant and contaminated public and private land at the crossroads of Jamaica Plain and Roxbury.
The master plan to implement the community's vision was prepared by the designated developer of Jackson Sq., Jackson Sq. Partners LLC (JSP), a partnership of Urban Edge, the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corp. and the Hyde Sq. Task Force, working with Mitchell Properties. Blue Wave Strategies LLC of Boston led the LEED ND certification process for JSP. Grants from the Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust and USGBC funded the documentation work and registration for certification.
JSP intends to demonstrate in Jackson Sq. that green design is the best way to build everywhere, including dense urban neighborhoods. Green buildings improve air quality, conserve energy and water and create healthy indoor and outdoor environments for residents, workers and visitors. The plan calls for almost two acres of green roofs on the new buildings.