Officials at a Skokie bank say spending more on “green” technology now is the right thing to do for the environment, and could save money down the road.

First Bank and Trust this week held a “hardhat tour” of its soon-to-be-opened branch at 4007 Dempster St. The branch is seeking “gold LEED” certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, and is one of the only banks in the Midwest with a geothermal heating and cooling system and a slew of other environmentally friendly components.

First Bank and Trust branch Manager LuAnn Stempel said that she expects the new office will open for businesses in early December. She also said that bank officials realized early on that building a new bank branch and environmental stewardship can go together.

“Because we’re good with a buck, and we have weathered these hard financial times, we’re able to do this responsible building that I hope will serve as a model for a lot of businesses to come,” Stempel said. “The bank itself will have a good return, not only being very responsible, but over the long run we’ll save resources and energy, just all the things we should be thinking about as citizens.”

The 3,600 square foot building has a geo-thermal heat pump, which extracts energy embedded in the Earth, allowing for a 25 percent reduction in power consumption from non-renewable resources.

It also has an underground detention system that collects storm water run-off and returns it, filtered, to the storm sewer.

The building has large, floor-to-ceiling windows and high clerestory windows that bring daylight into the building, providing a better work environment for employees. Energy efficient LED light fixtures are also in-place throughout the building; 20 percent of all building materials are obtained from recycled sources and from within 500 miles, which decreases energy use for transportation. Also, 90 percent of all construction waste will be recycled, diverting that material away from landfills.

Stempel said she is most excited about the building’s roof, two-thirds of which will be covered with plants, flowers and tall ornamental grasses.

“I am gardener at heart so I like the fact there is a green roof,” she said. “I like that concept. I like the fact we’re going to have a lot of indigenous plants.”

The roof was designed by a Michigan-based company called LiveRoof, and company spokesperson Jennifer Smith said the roof will save the bank a lot of money on air conditioning. She also said a “live roof” lasts two or three times longer than a traditional roof because the plants protect it from the elements.

“It’s very low maintenance,” she said. “It comes fully grown.”