EIR for “green” port building
The Port of Long Beach held a second public hearing in October on a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for a proposed Port administration building and maintenance facility complex. The new facility would replace a nearly 50-year-old, earthquake-deficient administration building and maintenance facilities with a new, LEED-certified environmentally friendly complex on a 17-acre site just east of the current Port headquarters.
The new Port structure would qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification to become one of the first LEED buildings in Long Beach. The complex would also provide amenities for the community such as public meeting rooms, a public café with outdoor seating, an outdoor amphitheatre for large group gatherings and a private garden area for special functions. In keeping with the Green Port Policy, the proposed Administration Building and Maintenance Facility complex will be environmentally friendly. The new Administration Building and Maintenance Facility will be at least a LEED-Gold certified building, and the Port is pursuing Platinum LEED certification. The Maintenance Facility will be certified as LEED-Silver. The new complex would include such environmental efficiencies as:
– Extensive use of natural daylight to reduce electricity use
– Increased energy efficiency (solar and wind power are being investigated)
– Increased water conservation
– Use of recycled or renewable materials for construction
– Accommodations for alternative transportation
– Sustainable landscaping and storm water treatment – Green construction practices, including low-emissions construction equipment. The draft EIR is available at
www.polb.com/environment
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