Green with envy

who knew my concrete neighbor State Place was such a paragon of green virtue?

12/09/2011 11:31 AM

By Bonnie McGrath

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The greenest of the green in the South Loop: State Place

It started out really nice last Tuesday: over Cuban sandwiches delivered from Congress Parkway's Cafecito, and on the eighth floor of Columbia College's Ludington Building at 11th and Wabash, the Alliance for a Greener South Loop was giving out eight green, greener and greenest awards. Businesses like Overflow Coffee Bar at 16th and State--which, for instance, encourages drinking java from real cups, and water from water boxes (no plastic) and gives away coffee grounds to neighborhood residents to use as compost--won a green award.


Another business, ORA Dental Studio at 18th and Michigan, wherefrom an oral surgeon very impressively described how the dental practice practices green by minimizing waste and toxins, was endowed with a greenest award.

Institutions such as East-West and Roosevelt Universities, both of which are in one stage or another in the building of galvanizingly green multi-purpose buildings, were honored for same.

Film Exchange Lofts at 1307 S. Wabash--which not only employs green practices within its condo building, but saves residents a bundle while stretching its assessment dollars by doing so--was also honored with a green award.

But when that concrete hulk State Place, stretching a block on State from Roosevelt to 11th Street, made a presentation after being awarded a greenest award, I thought I'd landed somewhere in a tiny homogenous cottage community in the bay area of San Francisco or in a little old-fashioned seaside community in Maine. This place, concrete and all, is GREEN! Right at Roosevelt and State yet!

I can't believe, as I try to rescue a bit of rainwater for my grass, get the gardeners to quit blowing gas-powered garbage blowers, and beat myself up every time I take a plastic bag from Jewel or throw away a double-A battery, that these condo dwellers kiddie-corner from my house are not only collecting their kitchen compost like good soldiers, but laying it down in their rooftop gardens betwixt and between the buildings in order to grow organic vegetables and herbs for the residents!

They are also, among other things, rescuing and reusing spring flower bulbs and other plants from the sidewalk planters which would ordinarily be tossed; and recycling everything from batteries to light bulbs to eyeglasses. While I'm buying a few paltry non-toxic "Method" cleaning products from Target, they're supplying their cleaning staff with people and pet friendly products galore--and educating their residents on how to do evermore green living.

And what will that involve in the future? State Place, it appears, has three goals. Rain recycling; bee hives; and get this: wind turbines. Just bury me now in a plastic bag!


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By Judy Marcus from Palatine
Posted: 12/10/2011 2:32 PM

Very cool!...Unfortunately, green seems to be a dirty word out here.