Local McDonald's may go eco-friendly

Local McDonald's could be third in U.S. to earn Green Building sea

The golden arches are turning green in Cary.

McDonald's franchisee Ric Richards is planning an environmentally friendly redo of his restaurant in Saltbox Village shopping center, off Kildaire Farm Road.

The 4,150-square-foot restaurant, which has been there since 1985, is to be torn down and rebuilt with a design aimed at earning a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

If successful, the $2 million project would be the first LEED-certified McDonald's in the state, and the third in the nation.

"I believe in the whole philosophy of renewable resources and trying to help the environment," Richards said.

That's important, but so is the bottom line. Richards says that building green will cost more than building a traditional McDonald's, but he expects to make up for the expense with higher sales and cheaper utility expenses.

Retailers have been greening up in recent years to save money through operations and lure eco-conscious customers.

The McDonald's in Cary would be the latest Triangle fast-food joint to seek LEED certification.

On Wednesday, Subway opened a restaurant on Market Street in Chapel Hill that has recycled floor tile, high-efficiency heating and air-conditioning systems, low-flow faucets and lots of natural light. If approved, it will be the state's first LEED certified Subway.

Richards expects to use at least 40 percent less water than a traditional McDonald's by including features such as low-flow toilets and an irrigation system that uses rain that runs off the roof.

Skylights and LEDs throughout the restaurant would diminish electricity costs. He also plans to re-install existing equipment, rather than buying new.

McDonald's, the nation's biggest hamburger seller, no doubt will be watching the Cary project, which is to begin in January and finish in May.

Last month, McDonald's opened a Chicago location that was designed with LEED certification in mind. For instance, permeable pavers absorb stormwater and filter it back into the water table.

That project, near McDonald's Oak Brook, Ill., headquarters, is an educational tool for the company's designers. "We consider it our learning lab," said Max Carmona, senior director of U.S. restaurant design at McDonald's.

Growing movement

Green design is new, but growing. The green stores will help McDonald's zero in on potential savings in its 13,700 locations nationwide.

The U.S. Green Building Council established the LEED rating system in 2000 to promote construction of buildings that are environmentally friendly and energy efficient.

Developers earn points toward certification by incorporating innovations such as recycled materials and systems that conserve water and energy and lighting that reduces dependence on heating and air conditioning systems.

In Cary, Richards plans to recycle anything in the existing McDonald's -- from building materials to interior decor -- that isn't reused in the rehab. Front counters will be made of recycled glass and concrete, and the parking lot will be made of recycled concrete.

When the LEED system was introduced, green buildings were seen as a novelty -- stuff for conservation-minded designers or feel-good public relations for developers. But the practice has flourished in the past several years as energy prices have surged.

Now municipalities from North Carolina to California have begun to require green design, and developers are pushing green-only projects. Having some know-how could keep McDonald's and other companies growing in certain markets.