Lake Merritt Tower in Oakland, CA, hosts the city’s first green parking garage. The below-ground facility features a “Juice Bar” with free electric vehicle (EV) charging; a tire inflation station; reserved spaces for smart cars, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles; a bicycle cage; on-site ZipCar vehicles; and even a weekly waterless carwash. People who park at the garage – tenants of the 10-story Tower, nearby workers (and the public, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily) – are big fans of the green features. “Our tenants are thrilled with the green improvements we’ve made,” said Tracy Sharp, who manages the property for Brandywine Realty Trust. “We’ve taken a green approach throughout the building, and the garage continues that.” In 2010, her team chose Propark America to take over garage operations “primarily due to their marketing strategies and green initiatives, which parallel Brandywine’s commitment to remain at the forefront of sustainability,” she said. About a year after Propark assumed management and installed the green features, average daily occupancy had jumped from about 50% to 95%. The facility has been designated a Green Garage Demonstrator Site by the U.S. Green Parking Council.
(Source: “Oakland: Building Green Business” advertising supplement in the San Francisco Business Times magazine)
