Smart Growth: Important for our future
According to the SmartGrowth.org / US Environmental Protection Agency, “Smart growth” covers a range of development and conservation strategies that help protect our health and natural environment and make our communities more attractive, economically stronger, and more socially diverse.
At the Port of Vancouver, we have embraced smart growth with our new facilities and developments. Here’s a look at the various ways that the Port of Vancouver is leading the way in environmental planning and proactively making a difference in how we grow:
Centennial Industrial Building
The port’s Centennial Industrial Building (CIB) was completed in 2018 and is proudly advertised as Green Globes Designed and Built.
Green Globes Certified Centennial Industrial Building at the Port of Vancouver
The Green Globes Building Certification is awarded by the Green Building Initiative for prioritizing sustainable development. Our modern industrial facility was designed to maximize efficiency, be environmentally conscious and provide a long-term benefit to the occupants of the building. CIB’s sustainable elements include a solar-ready roof, bird safe windows and lighting, skylights, native vegetation, enhanced stormwater treatment, and is EV station-ready.
In June of 2018, Hawthorne Hydroponics LLC signed a five-year lease for CIB. The port has partnered with Hawthorne on the installation of high-efficient, occupant-sensor lighting to continue sustainability efforts.
“Our previous manufacturing building was hot and too small for our needs,” said Hawthorne Plant Manager Garry Appleberry. “The new Centennial building is much cooler, thanks to its energy-efficient design and the fans we installed when we moved in. It has plenty of space for our workers, and the skylights add great natural light. This, plus the LED lights and motion sensors, enables us to consume less energy and provide our workers with a safe and pleasant place to work.”
Another great example of Smart Growth at CIB is Hawthorne’s efforts to green their manufacturing operations as much as possible. In addition to recycling cardboard and pallets, they have introduced a new process for recycling plastic trimmings from their trays.
“Each manufactured tray has about 3 inches of waste trimming that we save and pass on to a local business that grinds it down into pellets that are then recycled into new trays,” said Appleberry. “This has resulted in nearly 400,000 pounds of plastic being kept out of landfills since October 2018.”
Smart Growth takes many forms and the port is proud to offer sustainable space to tenants who continue to move toward environmentally responsible practices.
Terminal 1 Certified LEED-Neighborhood Plan: Gold Level
A rendering of the Vancouver Landing design at Terminal 1
As the port develops our Terminal 1 waterfront project, we’ve been incorporating sustainable practices and thoughtful designs. As of September 2019, we are pleased to announce that the project was certified LEED-Neighborhood (ND) Plan at the Gold level by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is the most widely used green building rating system in the world per USGBC. The certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and encourages healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings. The port’s LEED-ND designation is a particularly notable achievement, as it looks beyond a specific building and recognizes an entire ‘Neighborhood Development’ for its sustainability practices and planning.
LEED designation is not easy to achieve. Throughout a rigorous review process, applicants receive points for various innovative and sustainable practices including location selection, neighborhood design, and green building efforts. For the Terminal 1 site, the port proactively planned and designed for a reduction in water use, protecting wildlife, increased energy efficiency, pollution control, heat island reduction, waste management and more.
– POV –
The Port of Vancouver USA is one of the major ports on the Pacific Coast, and its competitive strengths include available land, versatile cargo handling capabilities, vast transportation networks, a skilled labor force and an exceptional level of service to its customers and community. For more information, please visit us at www.portvanusa.com.
