Lexus of Henderson goes ‘green’

Think you're a savvy recycling ranger, eco-steward of the planet? Better check those credentials against Lexus of Henderson's new- and used-car dealership currently under construction in the Valley Automall.

Slated to open in late September, the 10.2-acre, 90,000-square foot, two-story facility boasts a $35 million price tag that includes about $5 million in environmentally conscientious architectural and building techniques. For its efforts, the dealership's goal is to earn a gold-level Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

LEED is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. The program's objective is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated.

A grading system judges all aspects of construction from Lexus of Henderson's white-colored all-concrete parking lot (to reduce heat gain) to the high-pressure, low-flow plumbing fixtures and drought-tolerant desert landscaping being incorporated into the dealership's design.

Developed by the nonprofit organization U.S. Green Building Council, LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection and indoor environmental quality.

To earn a gold certification, Lexus of Henderson will receive points in several categories, including air quality, recycling and energy efficiency. In turn, the company not only saves on utility costs and reduces waste, but it also becomes eligible for certain energy credits and tax incentives.

Once completed, according to Lexus of Las Vegas general manager Lee Butler, the dealership will be the nation's first ground-up automotive dealership to earn this distinction.

"This is an incredible process," Butler said, speaking of the Henderson venture that broke ground less than a year ago. "It takes total commitment by all of our partners. You can't just do some of it. You have to be all in."

Butler estimated the LEED standard adds about 10 to 15 percent to the total construction budget. "Of course, our energy usage will benefit, but this is the right thing to do," said Butler, who noted just the LEED-approved heating and air-conditioning system added nearly $1 million to the finances.

Even many of the interior finishing touches will employ sustainable materials whenever possible, Butler said. He added that furniture and even glues, paints and adhesives that are free of volatile organic compounds will provide better indoor air quality

"Nobody is doing what we're doing," Butler observed. "This is positive news for our community and for Henderson. We're not going to let the economy dictate to us when and how we build our new dealership. Our customers don't compromise and neither will we."

Butler predicted Lexus of Henderson will employ about 75 people, which is more good news for Henderson.

"Our commitment to Henderson was to build to LEED's gold standards," Butler said. "And, while we pursue our vision of what a luxury car dealership should be and we offer more hybrid vehicles than all other luxury car manufacturers combined, why not sell them from a green building?"

Lexus of Las Vegas, which was awarded its LEED gold certification earlier this year, and Lexus of Henderson (7737 Eastgate Road) are owned by Houston-based Ascent Automotive Group.

For more information, visit Lexus of Las Vegas at 6600 W. Sahara Ave. (between Torrey Pines Drive and Rainbow Boulevard), call 942-6600 or log on to www.lexusoflasvegas.com.