Hy-Vee Opens Second LEED Store

SN STAFF

FAIRFIELD, Iowa — Hy-Vee is planning to open its second store seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification here on Monday, replacing an older store in this town.

West Des Moines, Iowa-base Hy-Vee opened its first LEED store in 2009 in Madison, Wis. — a store that qualified as a LEED Gold project. To qualify for LEED certification, buildings must meet certain criteria in terms of energy savings and use of sustainable building materials.

The new, 64,000-square-foot store in Fairfield is twice the size of the store it is replacing, according to reports, and will include store-made sushi, a new offering for Hy-Vee. The store will consolidate the pharmacies of the existing store and a Hy-Vee Drug Store in Fairfield, the company said.

Fairfield, with a population of about 9,500, has worked to become a “sustainable community” by encouraging green development and practices among businesses and residents.