Farmington Hills City Hall Earns Gold LEED Status

The City of Farmington Hills $8 million revitalization project has been awarded LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to a healthier environment for staff and the community.

“With each new LEED-certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC’s vision of a sustainable environment within a generation,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair, USGBC. “As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, Farmington Hills City Hall is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement.”

City officials said visitors – from citizens to homeowner groups, contractors and architectural students – are pleasantly surprised when they walk through the doors at city hall.

“The reaction has been very positive,” Nate Geinzer, Management Assistant, said. “When you start talking about the green technology and the cost savings, you really hear the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs'.”

“City Hall is quite simply a beautiful and functional building. I am glad after all these years of discussing a sorely needed investment, I was able to help see this project through to completion,” Mayor Jerry Ellis said. “The best part is that the building is performing beyond City Council’s expectations and we didn’t have to borrow money to complete the project.”

A comparison of June/July 2011 energy data to June/July 2007 data from the old building shows:

• A more than 30% reduction in energy use.

• A 70% reduction in total energy costs.

“These numbers are pretty impressive,” Barry Brickner, a member of both the City Council and the City’s Commission for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, said. “Our solar photovoltaic system is meeting most of our non-heating and cooling electrical needs. In fact, we’ve built up an $1,100 credit from DTE Energy.”

He added that some project costs were supported by the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program and DTE Energy’s Solar Currents Program.

Sustainable design features include geoexchange heating and cooling, solar hot water, solar photovoltaic panels, energy efficient lighting and many other measures.

“We’ve worked on a variety of projects that incorporated green roofs, solar panels, and heat pump systems, but with the city hall project we were able to incorporate all of these sustainable measures and more,” said of Brighton. “Plus, we did it for around $160 per square foot, which is substantially lower than most LEED gold level projects.”  

In addition to Lindhout Associates, the project team included Contracting Resources of Brighton, Strategic Energy Solutions of Berkley, and the Green Panel of Brighton.

“The City Hall Revitalization Project has provided real savings and benefits for our taxpayers,” City Manager Steve Brock said. “This building is certainly something the city can be truly proud of. We continue to lead the way toward a more sustainable future.”

A public reception will be held on Monday, Sept. 12 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall to recognize the achievement of LEED Gold Certification. For information, call Brock, 248-871-2510.