Fountain View Recreation Center gets LEED-certified
Carol Stream Park District's efforts to make the Fountain View Recreation Center environmentally friendly and energy-efficient have paid off: the building recently received LEED certification.
Park officials say Fountain View is the first public recreation center in Illinois to receive the certification, which stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and is determined by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The 90,000-square-foot rec center at 910 N. Gary Ave. opened last September. Its receipt of the silver-level LEED certification was announced this month and was based on criteria such as water use efficiency and environmentally sound use of materials and resources.
"It's definitely a notch in the Carol Stream Park District's belt that shows the commitment the park district has made toward providing these energy efficiencies and healthier places for people to come," Executive Director Jim Reuter said.
The roughly $20 million rec center offers multiple resources for patrons, including an indoor pool, a warm-water therapy pool, an indoor track, a gymnasium, a fitness center and several multipurpose rooms.
From top to bottom, the facility boasts features that save resources and conserve energy, from its geothermal heating and cooling system to the large windows that allow natural light to shine through and give patrons a view.
The site of the building itself also is supposed to help encourage healthy lifestyles.
"All the regional trails connect to this building ... the park district trails connect to this building," said Frank Parisi, who was the senior project architect for the facility. "So people are actually encouraged to ride their bike or walk to the building instead of getting in their car and coming to the site."
Two of the main environmental features are the permeable pavers in the parking lot and the outdoor bioswales, which help with stormwater management and remove pollutants.
The type of pool filter used by the facility also decreases pool water use by 98 percent, according to a news release.
Other environmentally friendly elements include energy-efficient lights, recycled building materials, low-flow plumbing fixtures and carbon dioxide sensors that measure air use.
Director of Marketing Services Julie Vogl said being as environmentally friendly as possible is part of the district's strategic plan initiatives.
"We care about the environment and, as responsible stewards of our community's resources, it's an expectation these days to be environmentally friendly, not pollute, be energy efficient," she said.