Iowa City fire station gets 'green' award

IOWA CITY - Iowa City's reconstructed Fire Station No. 2 has been recognized for being environmentally friendly.

The project has been awarded LEED Gold status by the U.S. Green Building Council, the city announced Friday.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, has become a sought-after designation for so-called green projects.

The 10,000-square-foot remodeled Fire Station 2, 301 Emerald St., replaced the previous 3,000-square-foot facility at the same site. It reopened a year ago.

The project achieved LEED certification for how the old station was demolished and the new facility's energy, lighting, water and material use, among other items, according to a news release. Those features will be better for the environment and will save taxpayers' money by using less energy and water.

It's the city's first LEED-certified project, according to the release.

“It's a very positive step in being fiscally responsible, ecologically smart and environmentally friendly,” Fire Chief Andy Rocca said in a statement.