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Erie Family HealthReach Health Center achieves sustainable first in City of Waukegan

Two years ago, 2323 Grand Avenue in central Waukegan was hardly a model of sustainability. It consisted of a vacated forty-year-old building and a barren asphalt parking lot.

Today, the repurposed building houses the Erie HealthReach Waukegan Health Center. It is filled with natural light and energy efficient systems. The parking lot offers "islands" lush with trees, prairie grasses, and shrubs, as well as preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles.

This month, the US Green Building Council awarded the building, designed by Legat Architects and built by Skender Construction, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The certification celebrates green buildings that save money and resources and have a positive impact on the health of occupants, while promoting energy efficiency.

The designation marks not only Erie Family Health's first LEED certified facility, but also the City of Waukegan's.

"This facility sets a standard for future construction of our facilities," said Amy Valukas, Erie vice president of planning and programs. "It also stands as a catalyst for future community health centers in high-density developments."

Accomplishing the (Virtually) Impossible

Getting the LEED certification was not without its challenges. Typically, the certification process starts well before design.

In the case of Erie Waukegan, it was not until late in the design process that Erie secured a grant funding opportunity that opened the door to LEED certification. In many cases, achieving the certification would be virtually impossible that far into design.

However, Erie, project manager ConopCo Management Company, Legat, and Skender worked together to get the building certified without major redesign.

"Sustainable design is integrated into every project that we design, whether or not the actual certification is a goal," said Vuk Vujovic, director of sustainable design at Legat. "So once the grant came through, it was just a matter of tweaking a few systems and formalizing the building's already sustainable features."

A Logical Location

Erie and ConopCo considered nearly ten sites before deciding on the property at 2323 Grand Avenue.

William Conopeotis, president of ConopCo, said, "The facility has a central location within the city, it's part of a neighborhood shopping center, and it's close to bus stops."

That decision turned out to be favorable for the facility's eventual LEED certification: Projects earn points for joining high-density urban development close to public transportation.

A Patchwork Revived

Since the facility was built in the mid-seventies, it housed five different owners. With each owner came arbitrary and sometimes clumsy additions and renovations.

"Environmental responsibility and energy savings weren't a priority back then," said Derek Dunn, design team member at Legat. "It was built as utilitarian as possible, likely on a shoestring budget. So it had little insulation and a bare bones mechanical system."

The renovation eliminates the flaws and improves operational efficiency. It adds energy-efficient windows and low-flow plumbing fixtures, insulates the roof and walls, and tweaks the mechanical system. The parking lot's water-efficient landscaping further reduces the facility's environmental toll.

Each year, the Erie HealthReach Waukegan Health Center will provide medical and dental care to over 12,000 Lake County residents regardless of their ability to pay.

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