[Press Release] : LEED certification announced for Wabash Station

[Press Releases]

You have received this message because you subscribe to the City of
Columbia’s Web Mail service. To view linked material click on provided
links or copy and paste them into your browser's address menu.
______________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2008


CONTACT: Public Works Department
(573) 874-7250

LEED certification announced for Wabash Station
								
	(COLUMBIA, MO) - The city of Columbia announced today that it
has been awarded LEED certification of the Wabash Station renovation
project, with a “Certified” rating by the U.S. Green Building
Council (USGBC). LEED is the USGBC’s leading rating system for
designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy
efficient, and high performing buildings.
	“This is an important step in the city of Columbia leading the
way in mid-Missouri toward energy reduction and sustainability” said
John Glascock, director of Public Works for the city of Columbia. 
	The Wabash Station is the first city facility certified.
Building renovations were completed in October 2007 at a cost of about
$3.5 million, with a little more than two-thirds funded by a grant from
the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the rest from local
transportation sales tax. Building renovations included the addition of
a new administrative annex, an expanded lobby complete with new restroom
facilities, vending machine area, new benches, artwork, refurbished
ticket windows, and restored heat registers, repairs to its original
limestone exterior, a covered walkway and passenger waiting area at the
back of the building, and a refurbished tile roof.
	The Wabash Station renovations were designed by ThreeSixty
Architecture to achieve LEED certification for energy use, lighting,
water and material use, as well as incorporating a variety of other
sustainable strategies. LEED verifies environmental performance,
occupant health and financial return. LEED was established for market
leaders to design & construct buildings that protect and save precious
resources while also making good economic sense.
	“The city of Columbia is to be congratulated for achieving
LEED certification,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO, founding
chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “The certification of
‘Certified’ sends a message that the city of Columbia cares about
the health of the building’s users and employees. Everyone’s
comfort, safety and well-being will benefit from the fresh air and
natural day light.”
	Some of the environmental and green features incorporated into
the design of the Wabash Station included building on an existing site,
use of alternative transportation (bike racks, taxi stand and
sidewalks), restoring at least 50 percent of the existing facility,
exterior landscaping, reducing water usage with more energy efficient
fixtures, optimizing energy performance with a new heating system,
reused existing shell and use of certified building materials. 
	The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership
organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a
generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders,
universities, government agencies and other nonprofit organizations.
Since UGSBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than
13,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of
LEED® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering,
the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
(www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 72 local chapters,
affiliates and organizing groups. For more information, visit
www.usgbc.org. 
	The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green
Building Rating System™ is a feature-oriented rating system that awards
buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria. The
six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites,
Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor
Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design. Certified, Silver,
Gold, and Platinum levels of LEED green building certification are
awarded based on the total number of points earned within each LEED
category. LEED can be applied to all building types including new
construction, commercial interiors, core & shell developments, existing
buildings, homes, neighborhood developments, schools and retail
facilities. LEED for Healthcare is currently under development and is
expected to be released in early 2008. Incentives for LEED are available
at the state and local level and LEED has also been adopted nationwide
by federal agencies, state and local governments, and interested private
companies. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org/LEED.
	The city is now working on a second LEED certified building with
the new City Hall expansion underway on the east side of the Daniel
Boone building. For more information about the historic Wabash Station
go to the city’s Web site at www.GoColumbiaMo.com or contact the
Public Works Department at (573) 874-7250.

- 30 -
______________________________________________________

Archived press releases can be viewed online at: 
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Public_Comm/Public_Information/Press_Releases/

______________________________________________________

If you would like to stop receiving messages, modify list options, or
subscribe to other lists visit the Web Mail section of our Web site and
follow the instructions provided. 

http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Web_Mail/index.php