Lunds Opens LEED Store

The new Lunds supermarket opening this week in downtown Minneapolis is not only the first full-service food store in that area, it will serve as the retailer’s first environmentally friendly store.

The Lunds Hennepin Ave. unit has applied for silver certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. To qualify, the store needs to meet standards in various areas such as water efficiency, energy use and indoor environmental quality. It also takes into account transportation options and the types of building materials used.

The building, an old automobile showroom constructed by the Reno Motor Company in 1912, has retained many of the original elements, according to officials. Much of the wood used in the building was repurposed in the redesign, having been salvaged from the renovation of the neighboring Lunds Wines & Spirits building.

A staple in any retailer’s LEED effort, both the refrigeration and the lighting have been updated. Coolers and freezers use more eco-friendly coolants while the aisles and cases are illuminated with LED lighting.

Outside, the store’s parking lot has a charging station for electric and hybrid cars. And a rain garden situated between the retailer’s liquor store and the supermarket building designed to hold and filter rainwater that runs from the property before it enters the public drainage system.

The 20,000-square-foot unit is the 22^nd store in the company, which includes 10 Lunds and 11 Bylerly’s locations throughout the Minneapolis metro area.