Renovation Credit

The Ordinance maintains the aesthetic and character of San Francisco by penalizing demolition, and encouraging renovations. The strictest consequences apply to projects where the building slated for demolition, is also historical. With that criteria, a proposed project is required to attain LEED certification as well as LEED points equal to 10% of the total number of points available (Coblentz, p8). For example, if a building is required to obtain LEED Silver under the Ordinance and it plans to demolish an existing structure, it would have to actually attain LEED Gold. Choosing to renovate a historic building is rewarded by additional LEED points. The number of credits granted to the project is at the discretion of the DBI (ibid, p10).