October 20, 2016 | Liz Austin
The new Page Business Center integrates creative reuse principles with state-of-the-art sustainability features.
It’s been more than seven years since we brought the first green business park to the St. Louis metropolitan area, and in those years, the Page Business Center has brought new life to the former location of the Dorris Gear Company manufacturing plant. Located in the small town of Overland, a short 15-minute drive from the heart of St. Louis, the business park — established in 2009 — now houses Landis+Gyr, Staples Promotional Products, and Midwest Testing.
Before redeveloping the 10-acre park, we drafted a three-phase plan with green building consultant Vertegy to deliver functionality, sustainability, and economic returns. As Landis+Gyr tells it, “The building continues to perform beyond expectations.” We tend to agree.
Something Old
The first phase of the Page Business Center project consisted of renovations on the existing structure. We added large windows and re-skinned the entire building to freshen up the exterior. Inside, we worked with recycled materials to construct a raised floor system, an open floor plan, and exposed ceilings. Most impressively, we did so while retaining over 90% of the original building structure — everything that could be salvaged, was.
While renovating the building, we focused our efforts on flexibility and sustainability. Tenants can opt to use the space entirely for offices, or they can allot floor space for manufacturing and light warehouse usage. In addition to our green construction practices, we incorporated rainwater collection and rooftop solar systems to facilitate reuse of these natural resources. The building is certified LEED CS 2.0 Gold, and the core, shell, and interior all adhere to top-of-the-line sustainability standards.
During this phase, we targeted our renovations to the specific needs of Swiss electricity metering company Landis+Gyr, all the while maintaining a commitment to housing future businesses across a variety of industries. This commitment paid off: Staples soon moved in, attracted to the building’s sustainable features and LEED certification.
Something New
After renovating the original building, we began the project’s second phase: constructing the 25,000-square-foot headquarters of Midwest Testing. We designed the new building to accommodate the company’s large-scale office and lab space needs, and optimized the space for future growth by allowing space for easy expansion into a second floor.
While this building is an entirely new construction, we still abided by the highest possible sustainability standards. Following Midwest Testing’s specifications, we adhered to green building practices throughout the construction process to achieve LEED Silver certification. Acting as a fee-based developer for Midwest Testing, we were able to lower their operational costs and provide them with a perfect home for years to come.
During the third phase of the Page Business Center project, we plan to construct another LEED-certified office and warehouse complex — and we’re confident that upon completion, this building will uphold our high standards of sustainability while providing features tailored to the needs of its future tenants. If you’re interested in hearing more about this project as it progresses, please contact us.
As the saying goes: something old, something new. The Page Business Center demonstrates Green Street’s enduring commitment to creative reuse and state-of-the-art sustainability features, setting an impressive precedent for future projects.
