Courtesy : www.njeda.com
Green building material
The enabling acts establishing the Aspire and Emerge Programs require any applicant seeking incentive grants for redevelopment
projects under these programs to certify that the project was designed and built to green building standards.
Given the fact that Aspire and Emerge were expanded under the Economic Recovery Act of 2020 to allow for a greater degree of
variation in the projects that are eligible for these incentives, EDA has established a flexible menu of options that applies the best
practice principles of the NJ Green Buildings Manual to the applicant’s specific type of project.
Potential applicants should understand going into the application process that these standards exist and, depending on the scope of
the project, compliance with green building standards can impact overall project cost. Therefore, it may be in the applicant’s best
interest to review this information with a design professional as early in the process as possible for guidance as to how the
requirements will impact overall project cost and implementation.
Identifying a Project Type
Given that green building standards differ depending on the scope of the project, during the application stage, the applicant will be
asked to identify the specific project type (1 or 2,see below) that best applies to the scope of construction and which will drive capital
investment costs. Please note that EDA staff will not recommend any project for EDA Board approval until a project type has been
clearly identified on the program application.
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The project classification types are as follows:
Type 1:
Construction consisting of 50% or more of the building’s value and/or square footage
• New Construction
• Reconstruction – Commonly referred to as a “gut rehab” this includes extensive work involving the interior of a building, floor
or tenant space to the degree that the work area cannot be occupied while the work is in progress, and where a new certificate
of occupancy is required before the work area can be reoccupied. This does not include projects comprised only of floor finish
replacement, painting, wall-papering, or the replacement of equipment or furnishings.
Type 2:
Construction consisting of 50% or less of the building’s value and/or square footage
• Renovation – Work that is generally restorative in nature and involves the use of different materials. Examples include:
replacement of interior finish, trim, doors, or equipment. Renovation does not involve the reconfiguration of space.
Renovation also includes the replacement of equipment or fixtures.
• Alteration – Work that involves a change in layout of interior space while other portions of the space remain without
rearrangement. For example, the rearrangement of any space by the construction of walls or partitions, the addition or
elimination of any door or window, the extension or rearrangement of any system, the installation of any equipment or fixtures,
or any work which affects a primary structural component.
For projects scopes considered “equipment only,” project teams must submit a letter signed by CEO (or equivalent) along with a
project narrative and schedule of values clarifying the scope of work for the project to be reviewed for exemption from the green
building standards stipulated above.
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Basic Application of Standards
For all Type 1 Projects: Table 1: Applicable Standards for Type 1 New Construction/Major Reconstruction Project – page 7
For all Type 2 Projects: Table 2: Minimum Required Standards for Type 2 Renovation/Alteration Project – page 11
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NJEDA will review for green building compliance at two (2) stages for every project; Pre-Development and Post-Construction.
Submitting for a Pre-Development Review
Upon Incentive application approval, EDA will require that a project’s specific green building plan be submitted the sooner of six (6)
months following application approval (when the first project update is due,) or upon the applicant’s request for a grant agreement.
However, the plan must be submitted no later than the end of “Schematic Design” so green building elements can be
incorporated into the design appropriately. The plan is to be submitted via email to greenbuilding@njeda.com with the name of
the project in the subject line. The email should include the following information:
• NJEDA P #:
• Classification as described above (i.e.: New Construction, Reconstruction, Renovation or Alteration):
• Pre-Development or Post-Construction Review:
• Technical Contact Info (Owner, Architect/Engineer):
• Project Location(s):
All green building plans should include the following components:
- A letter from the Applicant (on letterhead) outlining the project size and scope, plus a commitment to their specific standards
based on project classification. - A signed and sealed letter (please rub lead on the seal so it’s visible when scanning) from a licensed design professional
outlining the scope of work for the project including the following:
a. Type of project (New Construction, Reconstruction, Renovation or Alteration as described above) with square footage
of the project (and how the project relates to the overall building size – if applicable).
b. Identify which approved path of green building compliance the applicant is proposing - Comprehensive construction budget
- The compliance documentation identified in the chart(s) below.
The submission of this green building plan along with the backup documentation identified in the chart below will start the PreDevelopment Review process.
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During this Pre-Development Review, EDA will evaluate the project specific green building plan for compliance with the referenced
standards applicable to that specific project type. EDA will then either approve the plan or advise applicants as to the most applicable
plan amendments to satisfactorily meet the standards. Should an applicant request a “preliminary” Pre-Development approval, a
letter would be required from the applicant (on letterhead) clearly identifying a commitment to an approved metric in which the
project’s performance shall be measured against. Once the required documentation demonstrating compliance with the identified
metric (i.e., an energy model or COMcheck calculations) is available and ready for review, the applicant can submit for “final” PreDevelopment Review. Once all submissions have been reviewed and approved, a project will receive an approved review letter clearly
stating that project has met the pre-development green building requirements of the program.
Project design documents should not be finalized by the applicant until EDA has reviewed and approved the green building predevelopment plan.
EDA’s Green Building staff are available at this stage to review the green building pre-development plan. However, applicants are
advised to channel questions and information through their design professional charged with planning and executing the plan.
Submitting for a Post-Construction Review for Final Certification
Once EDA approves the green building pre-development plan, the applicant will be expected to execute the plan as approved. To
ensure the plan was executed as approved, EDA will minimally require a signed and sealed letter from the licensed design professional
certifying that the as-built project meets the specifications of the approved plan and all green building measures identified are actually
installed and/or implemented. Additional required documentation will be outlined in the approval letter based on predevelopment
submission. Refer to the chart below for requirements for each measure.