Good FOUR Business

Green Exchange the world's first eco business mall

Imagine a shopping center with priority parking for hybrid cards. An organic restaurant. A hospitality room with showers for bicycle visitors. A 9,000 square foot garden and up to 150,000 square feet of retail and office space for businesses committed to environmentally sound practices. Sound too good to be true? It isn't. It's the new Green Exchange building, planned to open next year in Chicago. Now under development, the Green Exchange has been called "the world's first mall dedicated to green and socially responsible businesses" by the U.S. Green Business Council. Retailers will commingle with business incubators and nonprofit organizations in a LEED-certified building. Loft-style spaces will take advantage of natural light, and the building will feature a high-efficiency energy system. That's a comfort considering 38 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions in the commercial sector are the result of heating, air conditioning and lighting. There is room for about 100 vendors, and two good corporate citizens have already signed on. The Green Exchange could become THE model for responsible business development and revolutionize the way we think about retail and business centers. We think that's the best kind of green envy.