MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 16, 2017) – The Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC) announced today that it is LEED® Certified for Existing Buildings: Operation & Maintenance (EBOM). The LEED rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.

“Sustainability is a priority at the Minneapolis Convention Center, and we are proud to be LEED Certified. It is our responsibility, not only as meetings and events leaders, but also as citizens of the world to think beyond the walls of our facility and how our actions impact the community at large,” said Jeff Johnson, executive director of the Minneapolis Convention Center. “Take for instance the mighty Mississippi River, which flows directly through downtown Minneapolis and serves as the backbone of our community. Due to a major sustainability effort to install a 250,000 gallon storm water system, we are now diverting an estimated 5.4 million gallons of runoff rainwater annually from the river and redirecting it to our underground storage system for the facility’s irrigation.”

“We strive to use our resources responsibly at the MCC, and it became clear we needed to take bold steps to change our primary source of irrigation among other efficiency efforts,” added Johnson. “This mindset has become the cornerstone of our sustainability program and guides our efforts to be the best facility possible for our clients, our staff and the entire community.”

Examples of ongoing notable sustainability initiatives at the MCC include offsetting energy usage by 100 percent with solar and wind power, recycling 60 percent of waste in 2016, collecting 160 tons of organics for hog feed and composting, donating 4 tons of food per year and creating a pollinator garden that’s inviting for bees, butterflies and other essential pollinators.

“To further reduce the waste that is generated by meetings and conventions, it is imperative to work with an award-winning culinary partner like Kelber Catering who values sustainability,” said Johnson. “As we continue to push the needle to improve efficiencies and reduce waste, we are thrilled to have seasoned chef and Kelber veteran John Doody at the helm as our newly named Executive Chef. His leadership and attention to detail will undoubtedly take the Minneapolis Convention Center’s culinary program to the next level.”

“Achieving LEED certification is more than implementing sustainable practices. It represents a commitment to making the world a better place and influencing others to do better,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC. "Given the extraordinary importance of climate protection and the central role of the building industry in that effort, the Minneapolis Convention Center demonstrates its leadership through their LEED certification of an existing building.”

To learn more about sustainability efforts at the Minneapolis Convention Center, visit the center's website.

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Photo: Minneapolis Convention Center’s pollinator park.

ABOUT THE MINNNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER

The City-owned Minneapolis Convention Center is the largest indoor, contiguous convention center in the Upper Midwest. The MCC is more than a meeting place. It's more than a show space. It's a building all about building something else…relationships. With nearly 480,000 square feet of trade show space, 87 column-free conference meeting rooms, a 28,000-square-foot ballroom, and an auditorium with superb production and flexible technology options, the facility can handle any event from a small meeting to a large convention or trade show.

ABOUT MEET MINNEAPOLIS

Meet Minneapolis is a private, not-for-profit, member-based association. It actively promotes and sells the Minneapolis area as a destination for conventions and meetings, works to maximize the visitor experience and markets the city as a desirable tourist destination to maximize the economic benefit to the greater Minneapolis area.

Meet Minneapolis is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of Destinations International.

ABOUT THE U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, an international network of local community leaders, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

ABOUT LEED

The U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction, maintenance and operations of green buildings. Every day, more than 2.25 million square feet (209,000 square meters) of space is certified using LEED. More than 91,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial LEED rating systems, comprising more than 19.2 billion square feet (1.7 billion square meters) of construction space in 165 countries and territories. In addition, more than 356,000 residential units have been certified under the LEED Homes rating system, with more than 23,000 home projects registered. Learn more at usgbc.org/leed and review the Foundations of LEED development process.

MEDIA CONTACT

Kristen Montag, Meet Minneapolis senior public relations and communications manager, 612-767-8038, kristenm@minneapolis.org, @Minneapolis_PR on Twitter