Atlanta plans shrubs, plants for roof of City Hall

ATLANTA - The city of Atlanta is designing a project to plant trees, shrubs and flowers on the roof of City Hall to determine the environmental benefits of so-called ``greenroofs.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Once planted on the fourth-floor roof, officials would collect data about the economic and ecological benefits, such as cleaning the air, capturing runoff and lowering the cost of cooling the building. <br> <br> ``As Atlanta is ... in noncompliance with levels of air quality, greenroofs could be retrofitted onto the majority of government buildings and included as a requirement for new construction, said the proposal from Atlanta environmental manager Ben Taube. <br> <br> The proposal says the study could lead to legislation that encourages planted roofs through tax incentives or grants. <br> <br> Taube and senior landscape architect Bill Brigham are preparing a detailed proposal for Mayor Shirley Franklin, who has already expressed support for the project. <br> <br> Taube estimates the 3,000-square-foot planted roof will cost about $50,000 money he hopes to get through federal and city dollars and donations. He said the project will take about 90 days to complete.