For Immediate Release
February 28, 2020
CHICAGO – The Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC) is celebrating the notice that it has received LEED ‘Gold’ certification on the Chicago Public School’s Skinner West Elementary School Annex and the Chicago Public Library’s Whitney Young Library Expansion projects. The City of Chicago is a national leader in municipally-owned buildings that have achieved this high level of recognition, 88 of which were developed by the PBC.
“The volume of public buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards is a strong indication of the commitment to sustainable design embraced by the PBC and its client agencies,” Carina E. Sanchez, Executive Director of the PBC, said. “To have eighty-eight of our projects achieve LEED certification is a remarkable achievement, one that exemplifies the strong leadership in Chicago that is committed to environmental stewardship.”
The PBC integrates many sustainable strategies into each development project. These strategies help to conserve water, reduce the amount of energy used, connect with transportation alternatives, provide great outdoor and public spaces and utilize regional and recycled materials.
The U.S. Green Building Council announced that the Chicago Public School’s new 4-story addition onto the Skinner West Elementary School, which included 19 classrooms, a science lab, art room, computer lab, and multipurpose rooms, had been awarded ‘Gold’ level certification. The project consisted of site work, site utilities, construction of the new annex, renovations to the existing building, and parking lot work. Construction was completed in five phases to minimize disruptions to the school’s operations and the neighborhood. The school remained fully operational during the entire project.
Also achieving LEED ‘Gold,’ the Chicago Public Library’s Whitney Young Library Expansion project at the corner of 79th Street and King Drive in the Chatham neighborhood, preserved the walls and square coffered ceilings of the existing modernist building and added new amenities such as computers, multipurpose rooms, a recording studio, early learning play space, and a fabrication lab with 3D printers. The overhaul also revamped the building’s central courtyard and brought full ADA accessibility and energy efficient mechanical systems and lighting to the neighborhood library.
At the close of 2019, the PBC has achieved LEED certifications on the following facilities:
- 43 public schools
- 18 branch libraries
- 8 park facilities
- 6 fire houses
- 4 police stations
- 8 other municipal buildings, including the Daley Center
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About the PBC: The Public Building Commission of Chicago manages construction and renovation projects for the City of Chicago and its sister agencies. Mayor Lori Lightfoot serves as the PBC’s Chairman. Carina E. Sanchez serves as the Executive Director of the PBC. Additional information about the PBC and its projects can be found at www.pbcchicago.com. You can also follow the Public Building Commission of Chicago on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.