It's not often the addition of retail space makes the evening news. I'm sure when MacArthur Center opened in Norfolk years ago it made headlines. When places like Bass Pro Shops come to town, they always garner attention... but generally speaking, a story giving you an excuse to shop doesn't typically have a hard news angle.

What would the hard-news angle be, you ask??? Creating jobs, increased traffic, increased business for other businesses.. etc, etc. But what about "green" construction? Well, I've been in the news business for more than a decade and this week was my first experience covering a story about a new shopping venue going up... with an eco-friendly angle.

Yes, I know, we've seen eco-friendly homes constructed.. eco-friendly cleaning products and even eco-friendly fashions on the airwaves of 13NEWS, but this is something a little bit different.

The folks at Prime Outlets-Williamsburg are adding 115,000 square feet of retail and food space to their already huge center. When all is said and done, there will be a total of 120 stores at the outlets. That's music to the ears of many bargain hunters and 'one-stop' shoppers. On top of all that -- the parent company, Prime Retail, has been granted a special certification from the federal government. It's called LEED certification, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. In this case, the 30 store expansion and food court being added at the Williamsburg location will include eco-conscious storm water managment, green roofing and reduced water consumption.

We got to see the eco-friendly construction first hand. That's where the pink hard hats and galoshes come into the picture. Traipsing around a construction site requires some protection. For our safety, the women were provided pink gear. The men, beige. We saw gravel being spread in the parking area where special, pervious pavement will be spread, that will allow storm water to be collected and re-used for irrigation. There will be low-flo plumbing installed, to save on water consumption and "green" roofing.. which is reflective roofing that will help save on energy. The folks at Prime Outlets-Williamsburg were just as excited about "going green" as they are about the new stores they'll have to offer in April 2008 when the construction is complete.

So, when you're spending your hard-earned dollars on high-fashion at the new Burberry store, picking something up for your kids at Disney or find your self ogling that perfect Kate Spade bag -- remember: the building that you're standing in was constructed with more than just your ideal shopping experience in mind. It was constructed with the environment in mind, too. Part of a growing trend of environmental consciousness that's finding its way, more and more, into mainstream news headlines. A new hard news angle and a good reason to do a story about shopping.