 | Rick Brophy, David Lacy, Don Moes, Terry Stevens, Bob Davis, Tom Salome, Johnny Mankin, Dr. Roland Goertz and Jim Vaughan | Photo gallery |
The Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce hosted a dedication and open house for the first green Chamber building in America June 6.
The new building at 101 S. Third St. at Heritage Square, a landmark site in downtown Waco, is seeking L.E.E.D.TM certification through the U.S. Green Building Council.
The new building is the first in a three-block, $75-million mixed-use development downtown and houses the staff and committees of the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce and function as a marketing center for the region.
“This new building is the culmination of the efforts of many and a symbol of the confidence the business community has in the future of Greater Waco,” said President and CEO James G. Vaughan Jr. RBDR Architects designed the 13,906-square-foot building, and Barsh Construction Company was the general contractor. Both companies are Waco-based and members of the Greater Waco Chamber.
“We expect to set a standard for future new construction downtown with an urban scale building that is oriented to the street rather than a parking lot, and with windows and doors opening on to sidewalks to make streets safer and more interesting and with architecture appropriate to both our history and our vision for downtown,” said Vaughan.
The building’s major public spaces to open onto Heritage Square and will contribute to additional use of the park.
The building is funded through the Challenge Greater Waco campaign and will be owned by the Waco Chamber of Commerce Community Development Foundation.
The Challenge Campaign to fund the building and to implement the Chamber’s Strategic Economic Development Plan was led by Campaign Chair Thomas G. Salome.
More than 200 businesses, foundations and individuals have invested in the Challenge Greater Waco Campaign, which raised $7.5 million for the building and the implementation of the strategic economic development plan.
Rick Brophy, 2008 Chamber Chair and chair of the strategic planning committee, expresses gratitude to the businesses and individuals who have said yes to this project.
“Raising the funds to construct the building and carry out the Strategic Plan is evidence that Waco We Do is much more than a slogan,” said Brophy. The building also represents the community’s desire to pursue environmentally sound construction practices to make Waco a green, livable city and to revitalize downtown, said Bob Davis, past Chamber chair and building chair. “So instead of a suburban-scale building surrounded by parking, we envisioned our building as part of a full block of offices, restaurants, retail and housing,” Davis said. “With the support of the City and a SWB Heritage Partners, that plan has grown to four blocks of development.”
SWB Heritage Square Partners is constructing a multi-use project to include residential, retail and office space adjacent to the new Chamber building.
Vaughan expresses thanks to members of the Executive Committee during the planning and fund-raising phases of the project including Rick Brophy, Bob Davis, Dr. Roland Goertz, Jim Haller, Kent Keahey, David Lacy, Terry Stevens and Jim Vaughan.
The Chamber headquarters will represent the Chamber’s mission to enhance Greater Waco as a center of excellence and the community of choice for business.
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