Quick Chek Introduces First LEED-certified Store

BAYONNE, N.J. -- With a heat-reflecting roof, local building materials and LED lighting, Bayonne's newest Quick Chek convenience store is the company's first LEED-certified store -- and a test case as to whether the 122-unit chain will seek the eco-friendly certification in the future, The Jersey Journal reported.

The store at 20-38 East 53rd St. is scheduled to open at 5 a.m. today, and is the third Quick Chek in the city. The new location includes a gas station, in addition to its extensive food offerings.

Although Quick Chek already uses eco-friendly practices such as high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, and solar panels at its headquarters in Whitehouse Station, N.J., this marks the first store in which the company decided to go for the LEED certification, a federal program that stamps buildings as environmentally friendly, according to the newspaper report.

"We've always tried to do the right thing for the environment," said Rick Wisler, Quick Chek's director of engineering. "But we decided we should go for it (LEED certification) to let people know what we're doing. We didn't have to make drastic changes from what we do every day."

The biggest changes the company made to qualify were installing LED lights on the outside of the store and under the fuel canopy; making the roof and much of the parking lot light colors to reflect sunlight; installing super-low-flow toilets, and a water-saving irrigation system for the landscaping; using eco-friendly building materials; and recycling construction waste.

Making the store qualify for LEED certification -- which included hiring a consultant -- added about $40,000 to the project, Wisler said in the report.