Kum & Go LC last month opened its second LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) convenience store in Iowa, this time in Des Moines.
The new 3,400-square-foot store, which has an adjacent 1,700-square-foot tenant space available for lease, took just 92 days to build.
“We’re excited to offer our second LEED store to the residents of Iowa,” said Kyle Krause, Kum & Go president and CEO. “We have a long history with businesses and patrons within the community and hope to continue that partnership. We appreciate the business Iowa has given us for almost 50 years, and we will continue to provide superior service in environmentally friendly buildings.”
Kum & Go has filed to register the store with the U.S. Green Building Council, and the chain expects to obtain LEED certification within six months.
The Green Building Council will rate the store on a number of categories, including water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design.
The new store features 20 fueling stations, offering unleaded, super-unleaded, premium, diesel and E85 fuels. Kum & Go has offered E85 since 1997 and currently offers E85 at 39 of its stores located in nine states.
As part of Kum & Go’s commitment to developing environmentally friendly building and operating practices, the majority of its new stores are constructed using local building materials and are equipped with heavily insulated glass, LED cooler door lights, sun-reflecting roofs and energy-efficient HVAC and refrigeration systems.
Additional measures for LEED-certification include providing alternative transportation options such as electronic vehicle charging and carpool/van parking, construction waste management, 30% water-use reduction and use of materials that do not emit solvent vapors and other harmful chemicals into the store environment.
When its store is certified, Kum & Go said it will be the only convenience retailer in the Midwest with LEED certification.
While the company expects some additional up-front costs in materials and construction, as well as LEED-registration processes, Krause believes the investment will quickly be returned with reduced utility and water consumption.