Amway Center Achieves LEED Gold Certification

Earlier today at a special announcement with the Orlando Magic, City of Orlando and OUC–The Reliable One, the Amway Center got its golden ticket when the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded the arena LEED Gold certification for its sustainable design and construction methods. The announcement was commemorated with a monument dedication and garden planting in the Amway Center plaza.

“Amway Center is to be commended for their achievement of LEED Gold certification,” said U.S. Green Building Council President, CEO & Founding Chair Rick Fedrizzi. “It’s a team that started with the City of Orlando as owners, the Orlando Magic as the developers, and the community of fans and Orlando residents who will look to Amway Center as a source of civic pride and great entertainment.”

The arena’s designer, Populous; along with program manager, Turner Construction Company; construction manager, Hunt Construction Group; developer, the Orlando Magic; and owner/operator, the City of Orlando worked together to implement 39 points toward the arena’s certification. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the nationally-accepted benchmark for the design, construction, maintenance and operation of green buildings. LEED ratings are based on a point system that measures the impact on the environment and those who use the building.

“Amway Center is living up to its expectations,” said Orlando Magic President Alex Martins.“We promised to create an arena that was civic-oriented, pedestrian friendly and added to downtown development. We promised a sustainable arena, and are proud to say that with today’s announcement and with great teamwork, we have surpassed our goal for LEED certification.”

“Through our Green Works Orlando program we have encouraged our community to develop environmentally friendly business practices and lifestyles,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “The Amway Center is one of our most visible examples of how the City and our partners are embracing sustainable practices and will allow us to further engage the community in the effort to “go green.”

Amway Center’s sustainable design and construction efforts include:

• Water savings of more than 1.3 million gallons through the use of low-flow fixtures and faucets.
• Utilizing OUC chilled water to provide efficient air conditioning. OUC worked with the USGBC to qualify district chilled water systems for additional LEED points.
• Diverting more than 8,000 tons of construction waste from the landfill.
• Collecting rainwater from the roof and condensate water from the chiller equipment into a 5,000-gallon cistern to be used for site irrigation.
• Using more than 20 percent recycled materials and 30 percent regionally sourced materials in the building’s construction, thereby saving transportation and production costs.
• Building on an ideal sustainable site. The downtown location helped combat urban sprawl by redeveloping an existing area rather than having to clear new land and build new roads and other infrastructure.

“OUC is committed to helping our customers save energy and water, and we were proud to partner with the Magic and the City of Orlando to help the Amway Center achieve Gold LEED certification,” OUC Commissioner Dan Kirby said. “Like our Gold LEED Reliable Plaza, the Amway Center is helping to lead the way for sustainable building here in Central Florida.”

“Amway Center’s sustainable reach is well beyond the LEED Certification,” said Brad Clark, Populous designer. “Not only did we achieve something that few other sports buildings have, but we’ve created a building that is a sustainable community gathering space, and that was the driving force behind the design.”

About the Amway Center

The Orlando Magic served as the developer of the Amway Center, which hosts major national events, concerts and family shows. Opened in the fall of 2010, the facility is owned and operated by the City of Orlando on behalf of the Central Florida community. The Amway Center was designed to reflect the character of the community, meet the goals of the users and build on the legacy of sports and entertainment in Orlando. The building’s exterior features a modern blend of glass and metal materials, along with ever-changing graphics via a monumental wall along one façade. A 180-foot tall tower serves as a beacon amid the downtown skyline. At 875,000 square feet, the new arena is almost triple the size of the old Amway Arena (367,000 square feet). The LEED Gold certified facility features a sustainable, environmentally-friendly design and unmatched technology, featuring 1,100 digital monitors, the tallest high-definition videoboard in an NBA venue and multiple premium amenities available to all patrons in the building.

For further information please contact: 
Gina Stingley at Populous
Telephone: 816 221 1500
Email media@populous.com

Joel Glass at the Orlando Magic
Telephone: 407 916 2635
Email jglass@orlandomagic.com