But those features were exactly what a group of Cleveland organizations incorporated into their renovation of a vacant five-story bank on the city's near west side. The group wanted to create an office center for Cleveland's environmental nonprofits and businesses, and to demonstrate how "green," environmentally friendly elements could be cost-effectively incorporated into a historic building's redesign.

ShoreBank saw the potential of this project early on and became one of the first publicly committed lenders helping to finance the group's effort. The Adam Joseph Lewis Cleveland Environmental Center, Ohio's first commercial "green" building retrofit, is now home to nonprofit and business tenants. The building uses cutting-edge, affordable "green" building principles, which means the design, construction and operation of the building reduce energy consumption and the use of natural resources, such as water, materials and land.

This effort fueled growth among local businesses by drawing on Cleveland-area contractors, designers and suppliers during the renovation. It also gave birth to new companies connected to "green" construction, creating a positive economic impact in the local community.

Protecting the environment by using "green" technology to restore an idle building and strengthening communities by generating business for local companies is exactly the type of impact we seek. Projects like the Cleveland Environmental Center demonstrate ShoreBank's commitment to its triple bottom line by proving that good business, community prosperity and environmental health can go hand in hand.