One of the most visible successes of Mayor Michael B. Coleman’s “Get Green Columbus” initiative was on display on February 23, 2007, when Mayor Coleman led the Sierra Club, the Ohio Environmental Council, and local Green Team partners on a tour of the “Green” renovation of the historic downtown Lazarus building.

The Lazarus building has stood downtown since 1909. When the store closed its doors in 2004, Mayor Coleman was determined to not leave the store abandoned or to allow it to be torn down. Instead, the City negotiated with Federated Department Stores to donate the store to the City, and the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation purchased 4.28 acres of adjacent downtown Lazarus land holdings.

Once the City had control of the building, it was decided to make a special building really great – by making it green. Mayor Coleman’s vision was both to save the historic building and to demonstrate that high-quality downtown office space can be environmentally friendly.

“We not only renovated a historic Columbus landmark, we created space for 1,800 jobs downtown in the most significant “Green” building in the Midwest,” said Mayor Michael B. Coleman. “Lazarus is going to be a national model and should receive Gold Level Certification status through the US Green Council’s LEED program.”

The Lazarus project cost $61.9 million and includes the construction of the Galleria, a central window gallery for natural light, and the renovation of office space for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Ohio EPA is completely moved in to the building and ODJFS began moving employees in January, with the expectation to have everyone in the building by April.

The Lazarus rehabilitation included many cutting-edge features. For instance, more than 50% of all of the materials removed from the facility were recycled, keeping almost 6 million tons out of the local landfill.

The Lazarus Building also features a rainwater recycling system, which will collect over 2 million gallons of rainwater per year. Rainwater is being stored in the historic water tower on the top of the building and in a large storage tank in the basement. It is being used for the building’s gray water system and to irrigate the rooftop garden. This roof not only keeps excess rainwater out of the City’s combined sewer system, it also reduces summer heat buildup.

The building also features low-flow plumbing and energy efficient windows. The building’s south windows, which had been closed over, have been restored. A beautiful vertical sky light was added to allow natural light into the interior of the building. The art deco-looking lobby of the ODJFS is made of almost entirely recycled materials, as is much of the rest of the building, including bathroom stall dividers made of recycled plastic cartons.
One of the objectives is to utilize the Lazarus Building as a ‘teaching tool’ for school children, real estate professionals and residents. The building will feature displays, and tours will be available.

While the Lazarus rehabilitation is one of the most visible examples of Mayor Coleman’s commitment to making Columbus more sustainable, it is far from being the only example. The City is also committed to using LEED certification in several of its new buildings and in the conversion of a west side firehouse into a new health clinic. The City also created a new, inner city green neighborhood at Greenview Estates. The subdivision is made up of 30 affordable new homes that are being designed and built using a variety of green concepts. It is estimated that the green elements built into the homes could save families up to $900 per year on utility bills. The new neighborhood is already nearly sold-out, and we are considering new sites for another green housing neighborhood.

Learn more about the City’s efforts