September 01, 2009
The Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education, the site of the Sept. 10 public meeting, is a LEED Certified building. For more information about the facility, visit www.unmc.edu/sorrellcenter/building.htm.
The list of green buildings in the metro is growing.
The latest entry is the recent groundbreaking of DLR Group’s new office building in Aksarben Village, what will become the first privately owned building in Nebraska and the fourth in the state with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold environmental certification. The LEED designation, offered through the U.S. Green Building Council and verified independently by the Green Building Certification Institute, considers such things as a building’s water efficiency, energy usage and building materials.
On Thursday, Sept. 10, Omahans will have the opportunity to weigh in on a host of issues associated with green building construction at a free information open house sponsored by Environment Omaha. The event, which kicks off the building construction component of Environment Omaha, will be held from 6:30 to 8:00pm at the Truhlsen Campus Events Center in the Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) – a LEED Certified building.
On Nov. 6, city officials and Omaha by Design launched Environment Omaha, a multi-year initiative that is creating an environmental component for the city’s master plan. Environment Omaha is addressing five major content areas – the natural environment, urban form and transportation, building construction, resource conservation and community health.
The evening will kick off with a presentation by Elaine Gallagher Adams, a senior consultant with the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Built Environment Team. Adams has a wide range of experience in architectural design, historic preservation, energy conservation and green operations with expertise in passive solar energy design and rehabilitating existing buildings.
The presentation will be followed by a brief overview of issues associated with building construction and the information open house. A series of information stations pertaining to building construction issues will be set up. City staff and members of the Building Construction Advisory Committee will be available at each station to answer questions and record comments. The 28-member Building Construction Advisory Committee is chaired by Jay Noddle, Noddle Companies, and facilitated by Joe Lang, RDG Planning and Design.
Funding for Environment Omaha, which is receiving significant city staff and resource support, is provided by grants from the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency and the City of Omaha’s Stormwater Management Plan Program Grant from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.
The Sorrell Center at UNMC is located on the northeast corner of 42nd and Emile streets. Parking will be available in Lot 4 south of the Sorrell Center. Those who attend the meeting are encouraged to carpool, walk, cycle or take the bus. Metro Area Transit Routes 2, 3 and 15 service the Midtown Transfer Center at 43rd and Douglas. For more information on the bus schedule, visit www.metroareatransit.com.
For members of the public unable to attend the meeting, it will be webcast live on www.environmentomaha.com. Questions and comments can be submitted to www.environmentomaha.com.
For more information about the open house, contact Omaha by Design at 402.554.4010 or info@omahabydesign.org.