The City of Fort Collins’ Urban Renewal Authority is considering a variety of changes in its policies, including requiring businesses seeking tax increment financing to make oftentimes expensive environmental upgrades to their buildings.

Buildings would have to be LEED silver-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Megan Bolin, who works in the city’s economic health office, the idea is still being hashed out and will have to go before the City Council for its approval.

The idea stems from a mandate that all city-owned buildings must achieve LEED certification. Projects applying for TIF dollars, a form of public money, could be required to meet the same level of environmental-friendliness.

“The initial thought was, ‘If they’re getting public financing, they should be held to a higher standard (than buildings that are privately financed),’” Bolin said.

The business community is not sold on the idea.

Requiring LEED certification is too expensive for small businesses, according to former Mayor Ray Martinez, a member of the executive board of the South Fort Collins Business Association.

Such a requirement could discourage