Image courtesy Gensler Gensler is transforming an old Illinois car dealership into the Museum of Bond Vehicles & Espionage. Click on the slide show button to view more images. When the Ian Fleming Foundation offered Gensler the chance to design a James Bond automobile museum, the project architect didn’t expect to be scoping out sites in Middle America. Brian Vitale, senior associate in Gensler’s Chicago office, thought, “Great. When’s the next plane to London?” Before long, Vitale found himself in a remote cornfield in Momence, Illinois — population 3,200 — standing in front of two large storage sheds. “It couldn’t

“A lot of those projects should be coming up for certification soon,” Cheatham explains, adding that the economy’s shaky condition is “setting the stage for a project not obtaining certification becoming the subject of litigation.” Related Links: Greenbuild 2010: Full Coverage Passive House Program Gains Momentum in U.S. Robert Redford Teams Up With USGBC for Schools Summit USGBC, LEED Targeted by Class-Action Suit Supporting these fears is data showing that the appearance of LEED in project specifications is on the rise; furthermore, it is rising on the more high-stakes projects. The number of project manuals referencing LEED increased to 25.9%

Like a runaway recycling truck, green building’s momentum hasn’t been stopped by the economic recession and will keep speeding through the recovery, according to a report released just prior to the construction industry’s annual green-building conference. At the same time, experts say building owners are looking to go green more for economic reasons than environmental ones. “Green building is the silver lining creating opportunity in the down economy,” says Harvey M. Bernstein, vice president of McGraw-Hill Construction (ENR is a unit of McGraw-Hill Construction). “And with this growth comes increasing attention on the value and performance of these buildings.” Related

Image courtesy Shelbourne Development Chicago Spire’s foreclosure lawsuits heat up as condo market remains frozen. Foreclosure lawsuits mounting atop the $2-billion Chicago Spire project come at a time when the Windy City’s glut of condominium inventory has forced developers to make other deals. In the near term, “I think any high-rise residential developments will be rentals,” says Gail Lissner, vice president of Appraisal Research Counselors, Chicago. A dozen rental high-rises are planned downtown, she says, including a 49-story tower that is being floated by luxury apartment developer AMLI Residential, Chicago. As for condos, such as the 2,000-ft-tall Spire—which so far