Vertegy has been tapped to assist with the sustainable design of the first LEED Certified Lexus dealership in the country. Expected to earn LEED Silver certification upon completion, the Dave Mungenast Lexus Dealership of St Louis is anticipated to also be the first green car dealership in Missouri.

On the heels of helping to construct one of the greenest Harley-Davidson facilities in the country, St. Louis-based Vertegy has now turned its attention to the retail automotive industry. The sustainable consulting firm has been tapped to assist with the sustainable design of the first LEED Certified Lexus dealership in the country. Expected to earn LEED Silver Certification upon completion, the $16 million Dave Mungenast Lexus Dealership of St. Louis is anticipated to also be the first green car dealership in Missouri.

Vertegy will be in charge of all the LEED-related aspects of the 70,000-square-foot, two-story facility, which will be located at the corner of Mason and Manchester roads in Town and Country. The building will include a glass showroom and service lounge and will showcase a water-saving carwash and detail area. Environmentally-friendly features of the dealership will include low-volume plumbing fixtures to decrease water usage by 30 percent, an insulated roof that has been designed to reduce energy consumption, insulated architectural precast panels and aluminum curtain walls with high-performance glazing. Native plantings throughout the landscape will reduce storm water runoff and volatile organic compounds will also be reduced through the use of recycled materials throughout the dealership.

"This facility will not only provide a healthier environment for staff and customers, but it will also be a model to car dealerships around the nation," said Thomas Taylor, general manager of Vertegy. "We are thrilled to be a part of this project and commend the Dave Mungenast family on their commitment to building the first green Lexus dealership in the country."

Holland Construction Services, Inc. will serve as the construction management firm on the project and HDA Architects has been hired as the architect. Murphy Co. and Kaiser Electric will provide engineering services.


Founded in February 2005, Vertegy provides clients with design, procurement and construction consulting services for green and sustainable facilities. One of the key ways Vertegy serves clients is by helping them gain certification for their projects from various nationally and internationally recognized certification bodies, such as the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which provides LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification. Vertegy — which is derived from combining the Latin root for green and strategy — is based in St. Louis at the new LEED Platinum-certified Alberici headquarters.

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