New affordable "green" and transit-oriented apartments built with environmentally friendly materials in San Jose, Salinas and Santa Cruz will be bolstered by a $50 million financing program approved by the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA). Fourth Street Apartments in San Jose will provide homes for 100 families. CalHFA is providing nearly $34 million in construction and long-term loans that provide critical funding for the development of the project for families with household incomes between 25 and 60 percent of the area median income.

An affiliate of CIM Group, a real estate fund manager, has agreed to pay $412.5 million for five Oakland high-rise office properties owned by Brandywine Realty Trust.  The properties total 1.7 million square feet.   The deal includes assumption of about $95.6 million in existing mortgage loans.  Brandywine was seeking LEED certification for one of the properties, 2100 Franklin, with the adjacent buildings sharing a lobby and central atrium and offering floor plates up to 49,000 square feet.

Integrity Block claims to be the first green replacement for concrete block (CMU).  Integrity Block use can generate LEED credits.  Although transportation is commonly thought to be the primary contributor to emissions, it is eclipsed by buildings, which are responsible for 38% of all CO2 emissions.  Manufacturing, including building materials, generates an additional 28% (source EIA).

Integrity Block lowers building emissions by focusing on the life cycle of materials. From energy required to manufacture, to use of pre-consumer recycled material, Integrity Block is a green product alternatives that meet the testing and performance standards of existing CMU. The products are made from an engineered soil composite using a proprietary manufacturing process. Designed to the same standard dimensions as existing CMU, there are no changes required to the building process.

The Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is launching a two-year $300,000 pilot program to educate developers about sustainable design.  This CRA program is designed to encourage developers in redevelopment areas of L A to pursue green building projects. The CRA's new Healthy Neighborhoods Policy includes a one-time, green building consultation for developers of new projects within the redevelopment agency's project areas, which include 18,000 acres within LA.

The U.S. Green Building Council is hoping to revitalize the LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) standard, as LEED fever spreads across the United States and abroad. LEED-EB has been trailing behind its popular counterpart for New Construction (LEED-NC) according to Greener Buildings. As a result, LEED-EB: Operations & Maintenance (EBOM), is set to become the default rating system for existing buildings under the LEED system.  If successful, EBOM will provide the muscle to transform an enormous section of the industry, as there are about 5 million commercial buildings in the United States which would be eligible to apply for EBOM certification.

A small fraction of over 47,000 U.S. hotels are enrolled in formal green programs.  Only 11 hotels are LEED certified and only 314 hotels earned Energy Star certification.  However, many hotels are adopting eco-friendly habits and "Eco-chic" suites are now being offered at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in San Francisco and Washington.  Green Lodging News commented that "the fact that there is a relatively low number of certified hotels is by no means a true reflection of how many hotels are actively pursuing energy or water conservation."

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed a landmark energy bill that will do away with long-standing obstacles to building renewable power projects in Massachusetts and building homes and businesses more energy efficient. The wide-ranging Green Communities Act will likely result in utilities designing customized plans for homeowners and businesses to lower energy costs and providing rebates to pay for measures such as installing insulating windows and efficient boilers.