Key West City Hall Attains Platinum LEED Certification

The City of Key West has earned the much-coveted LEED Platinum Certification for Key West City Hall, making it one of just three city halls in the country to have earned the honor. LEED – which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — is the most widely used green building system in the world.

“LEED certification identifies Key West City Hall as a showcase example of sustainability,” said Mahesh Ramanujam in a letter notifying City Manager Jim Scholl of the designation. Ramanujam is the president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council and Green Business Certification, Inc., which issues the designation.

The letter continues, noting that City Hall demonstrates the City’s “leadership in transforming the building industry.”

Mayor Emeritus Craig Cates was serving his last week as mayor when the City received the notification. The restoration of the old Glynn Archer School into City Hall was one the accomplishments he is most proud of in his nine-year tenure.

“I would like to thank everyone that made this awesome accomplishment possible,” said Cates, “and congratulations to Key West for once more leading by example.”

The designation is much more than a plaque. A green building mean environmental sustainability as well as cost savings to the taxpayers through energy efficiency. Certification provides independent verification of a building’s green features, including the design, construction, operation and maintenance of resource-efficient, high-performing, healthy, cost-effective buildings.

The U.S. Green Build Council determines the certification based upon a point system. Among the features that earned the rating are City Hall’s accessibility to public transportation and its community connectivity. Water efficient landscaping is another important plus when looking at overall sustainability. Energy efficiency is also highly rated. The overall efficiency of the building and the on-site renewable energy in the form of solar panels earned City Hall high marks. In addition the containment of construction waste during the renovation earned the highest number of points possible. The reuse of the Dade County pine is not only aesthetically pleasing in the Commission Chambers, but it is part of what earned the City high ranking in the category of construction with recycled content.

The Josephine Parker Key West City Hall at the Historic Glynn Archer School has the highest LEED ranking among the three city halls that have earned the platinum certification. San Francisco’s city hall is the second highest rated, then the Greensburg, Kansas city hall.

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]