One of the more interesting things about the Shoppes at Arts District Hyattsville isn’t visible to people walking by.

The building which houses Busboys and Poets and Yes! Organic Market is home to a 10,000 square foot green roof, reportedly Prince George’s County’s largest on a retail structure.

The Hyattsville Wire recently caught up with Guy Silverman, president of Streetsense, the developers behind Arts District’s expansive retail complex, to learn more about the firm’s first green roof.

“When we were building the center it was definitely a more expensive way to go, but we felt the community would appreciate it,” he said. “There is a certain demographic in Hyattsville and that’s why we felt Busboys and Poets, and Elevation Burger, and the grass-fed beef would be good to put here. The green roof speaks to the community and environmental concerns speak to the community. Quite frankly we can’t do this everywhere–cost is a big factor.”

The green roof, which takes up a little less than half of the 22,000 square foot roof, consists of soil and various plants which help add to the installation, minimize water run offs, reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to noise-reduction among other benefits.

Silverman said he thinks in general people are going to start seeing more and more green roofs as the cost comes down and the environmental benefits become better known.