CHICAGO- (January 10 2017) – The U.S. Green Building Council recently upgraded the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status from Silver to Gold.
The certification is in the council’s Existing Building Operations and Maintenance category (v2009), and the upgrade resulted from comprehensive bank efforts to increase its LEED score, including restroom renovations to decrease water use, a major fan system upgrade to improve energy efficiency, and the purchase of furniture and equipment with sustainable characteristics.
“We are extremely proud that the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago has earned LEED Gold Certification, as it reflects our commitment to creating a sustainable workplace for our employees and building occupants, and demonstrates our responsibility to the community and environment,” said Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago First Vice President Ellen Bromagen. “Our dedicated staff members have worked diligently over the years to modernize our historic building, through decreasing our water consumption, installing energy-efficient infrastructure components and more. This accomplishment is all the more impressive for a building that was originally completed in 1922!”
LEED is the council’s green building rating system for measuring building sustainability. The LEED program’s four certification levels are Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum, corresponding to the number of credits accrued in six categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design process.
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Background
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks that, along with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., make up the nation’s central bank. The Chicago Reserve Bank serves the seventh Federal Reserve District, which encompasses the northern portions of Illinois and Indiana, southern Wisconsin, the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, and the state of Iowa. In addition to participation in the formulation of monetary policy, each Reserve Bank supervises member banks and bank holding companies, provides financial services to depository institutions and the U.S. government, and monitors economic conditions in its District.
# # # #
