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# Breaking green ground New development the first to be built with sustainable specs
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/breaking-green-ground-new-development-the-first-to-be-built-with-sustainable-specs/
- Published: 2008-02-21T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T18:38:05.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Environment, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Federal tax incentives are coming to an end*

19TH STREET Five years ago, architect Jesse Bornstein would never have dreamed of building a housing project with sustainable elements included if the buyer hadn’t specifically asked for them. Investors felt it was just too risky.

That was then. Now, as awareness grows about the benefits of green building, getting projects funded is a lot easier. An example of that is Green on 19, Bornstein’s collection of five townhomes on 19th Street that feature dual-flush toilets, solar panels, energy efficient appliances and alcohol-burning, flueless fireplaces — all included without a buyer even being attached.

Green on 19, which just went on the market this week, is the first private, multi-family green-building project to be built on spec on the Westside,a sign that eco-friendly construction is gaining momentum as buyers look to reduce their impact on the environment.

“Every project like this pushes the envelope, and can serve as inspiration for others to do the same,” said Craig Perkins, the director of environmental and public works management for City Hall, who on Wednesday joined other city officials and prospective buyers for an open house at Green on 19.

It was fitting that representatives from City Hall were in attendance considering Santa Monica’s dedication to utilizing green building practices for public projects while encouraging residents and developers to do the same, said Bornstein, who helped lead City Hall’s Solar Santa Monica initiative, which hooks up residents and business owners with companies specializing in solar installation, offering them discount prices and reliable products.

“A few years ago it would have been a great financial risk to build green without having a committed buyer, let alone five,” Bornstein said. “The city’s education efforts have created a market for green building, particularly solar, allowing developers the freedom to listen to their conscience and to get creative.”

The five townhomes, which sell for roughly $1.25 million and up, feature a unique implementation of SANYO HIT solar panels that provide 100 percent of the homes’ energy supply on sunny days, while allowing sunlight to filter through onto roof decks. The project earned an Energy Star Homes qualification due to the high efficiency of the building’s envelope, the high-performance HVAC system, as well as myriad Energy Star appliances and lights.

In addition, sustainable building materials, xeriscaping and water reclamation for the project exceeds City Hall’s standards.

City Hall intends to continue encouraging environmentally sound and sustainable building practices, while it notes that federal and state incentives may lessen or disappear in 2009\. Solar Santa Monica recommends investing in solar now in 2008 to take advantage of current tax breaks.

“State rebates are scheduled to shrink, and right now the residential Federal Tax Credit is slated to disappear altogether at the end of 2008,” said Susan Munves, who administers the Solar Santa Monica program. “We still believe, with rising energy costs, that residents will see a strong return on their investments.”

The federal government currently offers a tax credit of up to $2,000 for solar thermal installations, but the credit is scheduled to disappear in 2009 unless it is renewed by legislators.

“I hope that Green on 19 will stand as proof that a market exists for special projects and inspire others in the private sector to explore this as an option,” Bornstein said. “There’s probably no better place than Santa Monica to do a project like this.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 21, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/022108.pdf?ref=smdp.com)