PEORIA, Ariz. (April
15, 2011) – Peoria’s recent renovation and expansion of its Municipal Court
has won the building a LEED Gold certification.
LEED, an acronym for
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a system developed by the U.S.
Green Building Council to give building owners and operators a framework for
identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design,
construction, operations and maintenance standards. Gold is the second-highest
LEED designation, behind platinum.
“Reaching the gold
level is really an extraordinary accomplishment in any project, particularly in
expansion/remodel construction,” says City Manager Carl Swenson. “It is very
gratifying for me that we have reached this important milestone. I am extremely
proud we have achieved the goal with a Gold rating.”
Deputy City Manager
Susan Daluddung adds, “We build to LEED standards for energy savings reasons.
LEED provides clarity to make sure we are efficient and continue to save money.
This is a pivotal progress point for our sustainability team.”
The Municipal Court is
the first city of Peoria facility to achieve LEED certification. The recently
completed two-year, $11 million upgrade added an additional 19,000 square feet
of courtroom and administrative space, as well as a pedestrian bridge connecting
the building with an adjacent parking garage. It also reoriented the Municipal
Court’s main entrance toward 83rd Avenue. The old main entrance, on the west
side of the building, faced inward toward City Hall.
