Rain garden at the Oregon Convention Center With the recent adoption of its first-ever green building policy, Metro has set new sustainability standards for all the agency’s facilities and developed properties, from regional parks, solid waste transfer stations and the Oregon Zoo to venues such as the Portland Expo Center and Oregon Convention Center. The new policy follows last year’s approval of a plan to transform Metro internal operations into a sustainable business model by 2025.
“By adopting this new green building policy, Metro joins public agencies from our region and across the nation in recognizing that the sustainable design and operations of our public buildings is good for our environment, our economy and our community,” said District 1 Metro Councilor Shirley Craddick, who carried the legislation. “This policy will help Metro further implement best practices for sustainability in our own facilities and apply them consistently across all departments and visitor venues.”
The policy, which supports Metro’s sustainability goals on greenhouse gas emissions, toxics use, waste generation, water conservation and habitat enhancement, includes standards for new construction, major renovations and ongoing building maintenance and operations. It incorporates Earth Advantage Institute’s new green building standards for midsize buildings and establishes goals to increase participation of minority, women-owned and emerging small businesses in Metro’s green building construction projects.
Other key elements
- New buildings between 5,000 and 70,000 square feet must include Earth Advantage Commercial certification at the gold level.
- New buildings more than 70,000 square feet must include applicable Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification at the gold level.
- All new buildings must meet performance standards consistent with Metro's sustainability goals.
- Existing buildings more than 50,000 square feet will be assessed for LEED Existing Building certification eligibility at the silver level.
- All existing facilities must meet selected best practices for environmental performance, such as having an energy efficiency plan, an ecoroof feasibility analysis and low-mercury lighting.
- Requirements that link green building construction projects to the agency’s procurement goals for increased utilization of minority-owned, women-owned and emerging small businesses (MWESB).
Newer Metro buildings already reflect some of the agency’s work to minimize the environmental impact of its facilities:
- The education center at Cooper Mountain Nature Park in Beaverton includes solar panels, an ecoroof, local construction materials and on-site stormwater management with a rain garden.
- Construction of the Hoyt Street Station Community Café at Metro headquarters in northeast Portland included reclaimed, recycled and local materials. The café also embodies the social aspect of sustainability’s “triple bottom line” – people, planet and profits – having hired local and MWESB firms to build the eatery and offering a job training program to help employees gain business development skills.
Explore Metro’s sustainability plan and other initiatives to reduce waste, conserve natural resources and curb greenhouse gas emissions