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Portage, IN- The National Park Service received notification from Green Buildings Certification Institute that the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk unit of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore has received LEED Gold Certification from the United States Green Building Council. The site is owned by the National Park Service but operated by the City of Portage through an agreement. "We are honored to receive this rating," said national lakeshore superintendent Costa Dillon. Superintendent Dillon also noted that the park installed two "green roofs" on other park buildings this year. "These three projects reflect the National Park Service commitment to sustainable design." "The Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk project is an outstanding example of reclaiming a former brownfield site and transforming the land use to demonstrate sound environmental practices," said Mayor Velazquez. "Receiving Gold LEED status is an outstanding achievement and the time and commitment given from those who worked tirelessly to bring this project to reality is something to celebrate." The certification, developed by the United States Building Council, called the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system. The NPS and the city of Portage worked in partnership with the architects to create a structure that met LEED standards. The project was funded by the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority. Open less than two years, the site has already proven popular with the public and more than 110,000 visitors so far this year. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is one of 393 units of the National Park System ranging from Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore includes 15 miles of the southern shoreline of Lake Michigan and 15,000 acres of beach, woods, marshes, and prairie in the northwest corner of Indiana. More than 2 million visitors come to this national park each year. |
Last updated: April 10, 2015