Canon's new HQ to be LI's largest green project

Canon USA is expected to file building plans Tuesday for its new headquarters in Melville, a five-story, 690,000-square-foot facility that would be Long Island's biggest green project.

(Newsday) -- In the plans, what was once 52 acres of farmland would largely resemble a park, with the buildings taking up a third of the land, two reflecting pools to collect runoff water, walking paths among the trees, plus drought-resistant vegetation and energy-efficient building material. The main building, to be located on Walt Whitman Road south of the Long Island Expressway, would have a large interior courtyard to maximize natural light in the office building. Canon is trying to garner at least a silver standard from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Under new Huntington Town rules, a rating of silver and above would lift some code restrictions for developers, including allowing Canon's two parking garages and two additional stories, design elements that free up land to create a park setting.