News
http://sustainableindustries.com/articles/2010/08/portland-city-council-supports-oregon-sustainability-center
Portland City Council today unanimously supported a resolution directing the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) and the Portland Development Commission (PDC) to initiate schematic design for the Oregon Sustainability Center, a $75.3 million mixed-use building aiming to meet the Living Building Challenge.
The building, a private-public partnership, aims to achieve triple net-zero performance in energy and water use and carbon emissions. Portland Mayor Sam Adams was joined by Congressman David Wu (D-OR) and representatives from the offices of Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), to rally support for the project among City Council members.
"The Oregon Sustainability Center is a pioneering project. We're doing something here that's never been done before at this scale," said Portland Mayor Sam Adams. "We're seizing an opportunity to show the world that Portland's engineers, architects, developers, contractors and building professionals are at the forefront of green-building innovation. By becoming a tenant and investor, the City of Portland again demonstrates we can be the leading city in clean technology innovation."
The Oregon Sustainability Center could create 1,000 jobs during the construction phase of the project, and it would eventually house up to 725 office tenants and serve 1,400 students and faculty members of Portland State University.
Design costs for the building are expected to be $900,000, according to a press release put out by the city of Portland. The design team, led by Sera Architects, Gerding Edlen Development and GBD Architects, expects to commence schematic design in mid-September.
