From the Ground Up: Arvest Bank

Owner/developer: Arvest Bank

General contractor: Morelock-Ross Builders Inc.

Architect: Hight-Jackson Associates PA (Rogers, Ark.)

Engineers: Tatum Smith Engineers Inc. (Rogers, Ark.), structural; Olsson Associates, Inc., civil; HAS Engineering (Fort Smith, Ark.), mechanical, electrical and plumbing

Size: 6,500 square feet

Estimated cost: $1.8 million

Lender: None

Estimated completion date: June 1

Project description: The Arvest Bank at National Avenue and Chestnut Expressway will be the bank's second branch built to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. The first LEED branch is in Fayetteville, Ark. Morelock-Ross project manager David Ross said the building is designed for LEED-Silver certification, but there is the possibility of gold. Among the environmentally friendly features is the landscaping, which includes dwarf and drought-tolerant native plants, said Michal Moss Early, senior vice president at Arvest. Two cisterns will collect rainwater for irrigation and reuse in the branch's dual-flush toilets. LED lighting will be used indoors, and motion sensors will help reduce energy usage, officials said.Springfield Business Journal brings you new projects each week. Send project info by e-mail to sbj@sbj.net or by fax to (417) 799-0603.