Oakley Townhomes Go GOLD

January 8, 2019 (Cincinnati, OH) -- The 2940 at the Square development team announced in late December that it has been awarded LEED Gold. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance. 

“We spend 90 percent of our time indoors, so where we live greatly impacts our health and well-being,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC. “By achieving LEED certification, Markbreit Townhomes [2940 at the Square] has become a place that a family will truly love to call home, not only because it’s energy and water efficient, but because its designed with the health of its inhabitants in mind.” 

Cincinnati’s Oakley neighborhood has become one of the most sought-after locations for new development, due to it’s history, convenient location, and variety of local galleries, shops & restaurants. Oakley Square can now claim ‘green’ status, as the recently completed townhome condominium project provides one of the highest quality & innovation standards on the market.

Chris Pfeiffer with Pfeiffer Architecture + Development served as the architect while working with PLK Communities to bring the new 4-unit luxury townhome development to Oakley. All four of the homes are sold, with final paperwork and certification received in the past few weeks from the US Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes program.  

In addition to the health benefits and sustainable technologies built into the home, LEED Gold homes qualify for a 15-year tax abatement in the City of Cincinnati through the Community Reinvestment Area Residential Tax Abatement program. At the second-highest level, the home’s property taxes are abated for 15 years up to $562,000 in value, translating into approximately $200,000 in savings passed along to the homeowners when compared to homes at a similar price.  

The new townhomes were constructed on a previous vacant site along Markbreit Avenue, next to Habit’s Cafe and across the Geier Esplanade from the 20th Century Theater. These new homes incorporate modern amenities like open floor plans, high ceilings, luxury finishes, private garage parking, and rooftop decks with sensational views of the Square and neighboring community.  

The site had been vacant for over 9 years after the previous single story commercial building was razed before plans were eventually developed to construct the new urban inspired townhomes. Today, new residents walk out of their front doors to grab a cup of coffee, eat lunch, and enjoy programmed events like the OFF Market and Oakley After Hours on the Square.

Owners of the new townhomes are the beneficiaries of the best of all worlds combined - traditional neighborhood charm and a walkable lifestyle meets modern design & cutting edge innovation. The new LEED Gold homes are the first of their kind in Oakley, and in order to achieve the prestigious rating, the following list represents a wide variety of green strategies pursued by the design team.

• Compact density site design features
• Materials used to reduce heat island effects
• Multi-zoned energy efficient HVAC to achieve exceptional energy performance
• Outdoor air ventilation
• LED lighting
• Stormwater management
• Water conserving fixtures
• Locally harvested, sustainable materials
• Enhanced building insulation beyond code requirements
• Forest Stewardship Council certified lumber for environmental protection
• Recycled construction waste
• Energy Star appliances
• Low-VOC finishes
• Native, drought-tolerant vegetation

One of the main amenities of 2940 at the Square lies purely in the location. Oakley was originally known as "Four Mile" because it was a popular stop in the mid-1800s for wagons on the Madison Turnpike. Throughout the years, streetcars provided transit to the many residents & workers that called Oakley home, and several landmark businesses like the Cincinnati Milling Machine Company (known as Cincinnati Milicron), Aglamesis Bros Ice Cream, and the 20th Century Theater, helped define the unique village that’s resulted in new demand for a lifestyle that blends history with modern amenities. With these amenities right outside your front door, residents are less likely to depend on their automobiles and contribute to a more sustainable future for the community of Oakley.  

Learn more about LEED projects and why green buildings matter for economic growth at https://new.usgbc.org/leed 

More information about the community of Oakley can be found online at http://oakleynow.com.