$8,900. The NEA also has a 100 percent sustainable
purchasing program.
In February of this year, the NEA submitted for
LEED Gold Certification, and hopes to achieve it by
the early summer.
GCX: What trends are emerging in regard to sustainability and facilities that businesses should be aware of?
Roskoski: Implementing sustainability initiatives in
existing facilities is becoming more important, particularly because of the situation we are in, which has everyone
looking at the bottom line.
A lot of people will package things together. If you
know there is something you want to do that you think
is very important to the environment but is not going
to save money, package that in with energy-efficiency
projects. Overall, you will be able to show a shorter
payback time or show an overall decrease in costs. ;
Interview by Rachel Duran.
Maureen Roskoski, REPA, LEED AP, is a senior professional
with Facility Engineering Associates PC, a national firm
headquartered in Fairfax, Va. This nation-wide engineering
and facility management consulting firm specializes in assisting property managers of existing buildings to meet sustainability and energy goals. To learn more, visit www.feapc.com.
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In the heart of the Dallas/San Antonio/Houston
triangle sits a thriving little city with amenities as big
as Texas. Founded by Stephen F. Austin in 1832,
Bastrop has been dubbed the “Most Historic Small
Town in Texas”, with over 130 historic sites listed in
the National Register of Historic Places. Just 22 miles
southeast of Austin’s international airport, Bastrop is
a vibrant combination of old and new and possesses
all of the critical elements for economic success.
Bastropians also enjoy a superb quality of life, with
beautiful historic homes, scenic golf courses, two state
parks, and the peaceful Colorado River running through
downtown.
In fact, Bastrop is booming. Even in these times of
national economic uncertainty, Bastrop is experiencing
tremendous growth. With a trade area of over 164,000,
residents from 20 neighboring communities come to
Bastrop for shopping, dining and entertainment.
Several new retail sites are being developed along
Highway 71 in Bastrop. Burleson Crossing, a 600,000
square-foot retail center, offers Lowe’s, Best Buy,
Spec’s Liquors and PETCO, with the announcement
of other popular retailers expected soon.
Located 10 miles from Bastrop, the 420-acre Hyatt
Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa draws both business
executives and tourists alike. In addition, three new
hotels have recently opened and others are in the planning stage. These new hotels will help to accommodate
the thousands who visit Bastrop each year, a number
which will undoubtedly increase significantly with the
opening of the Bastrop Convention and Expo Center
in early 2011.
The Bastrop Economic Development Corporation
offers FREE LAND to qualified businesses in its 250-
acre business and industrial park. Strategically located
near State Highways 71, 95 and 21 and only 26 miles
from IH- 35, the industrial park is greenfield land with
its infrastructure already in place. Seven businesses
currently enjoy Bastrop’s large, cost-effective labor
force and numerous incentives.
BEAUTIFUL, BOOMING BASTROP
For all of your business location and expansion
needs, visit beautiful Bastrop, where opportunities
grow! For more information, visit our website at
www.BastropEDC.org.
