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Naperville Park District Awarded Green Building Grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation - $255,693 grant awarded for Knoch Knolls Nature Center
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Date: December 13, 2012 Naperville Park District Awarded Green Building Grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation - $255,693 Grant Awarded for Knoch Knolls Nature Center The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation has awarded the Naperville Park District a $255,693 grant for energy-efficient design of the Knoch Knolls Nature Center. The grant, awarded through the Foundation’s High Performance Green Building Program, will support the Park District’s LEED Platinum design of the nature center, including a photovoltaic system and energy-efficient heating and cooling. "The Foundation congratulates the District on its goal of designing a LEED Platinum building—the highest mark of sustainability. Nature Centers—and Knoch Knolls specifically—speak to all aspects of the Foundation's mission: preservation of natural areas; energy efficient buildings; and advancement of renewable energy," said Bob Romo, the Foundation's Senior Program Officer. The Knoch Knolls Nature Center is in the design phase, with construction beginning in the summer of 2013 and continuing through summer of 2014. This project will bring the District’s first staffed nature center to Knoch Knolls, a 224-acre park featuring the East and West Branches of the DuPage River, acres of woodland, prairie, and wetlands, and a network of trails including Segment 4 of the DuPage River Trail. "One of our goals for the future nature center at Knoch Knolls is that the community will be able to see practical examples of green technology at work," said Director of Planning Eric Shutes. "We are grateful to the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation for their support which enables us to include state-of-the art systems such as solar panels and a highly efficient HVAC in the design of the nature center." The nature center will offer educational exhibits, an outdoor learning area, and two indoor classrooms for environmental programs from preschool through adult. The exhibits planned for the building will focus on the theme of water, as the center will overlook a pond and the West Branch of the DuPage River. Green features of the building will be integrated into the design, including solar panels, a partial green roof, a cistern to collect rainwater for reuse on site, a high-efficiency HVAC system, and many other energy-efficient improvements. The District’s first "green" building, the South Maintenance Building at Frontier Sports Complex, also received funding from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation for LEED Silver Design and Commissioning. The mission of the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation is to improve energy efficiency, advance the development of renewable energy resources and protect natural areas for people in communities all across Illinois. Since 2001, the Foundation has awarded more than 3,600 grants, totaling $212 million, to Illinois nonprofit organizations, schools, municipalities and other local and state government agencies. X X X About the Naperville Park District: Created in 1966, the Naperville Park District is an independent municipal agency serving the recreation needs of its residents. An Illinois Distinguished Agency since 1994, the District is one of only 1% of park districts across the country to be nationally accredited through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA). The Naperville Park District’s mission is to provide recreation and park experiences that enhance the quality of life for our community, including benefits such as community health, environmental education, social connections, and personal growth. The District maintains and operates more than 2,500 acres with 140 parks and facilities and provides more than 1,400 recreational, arts and environmental programs and special events annually. Included within the District’s operations are two championship golf courses, a multitude of playgrounds, trails, athletic courts and sports fields, two inline skating and skateboarding facilities, the Millennium Carillon, a paddle boat quarry, historic Centennial Beach, and the beautiful Riverwalk. |
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