Orange, Blue and Green

When construction on the New York Mets’ new home was started in November of 2006, new ground was broken in more ways than one.

Citifield, the state-of-the-art facility set to replace the current Mets’ home Shea Stadium next April, is destined to be one of New York City’s first sustainable large-scale public buildings in accordance with Mayor Bloomberg’s PlanNYC. The baseball stadium will possess a number of environmentally friendly amenities, including a 15,000-square-foot green roof, 95% recycled steel, ultra-efficient field lighting that will cut energy consumption by as much as 50% and an on-site irrigation system and low-flow plumbing fixtures such as waterless urinals and sensor-activated faucets that will help save an estimated 4 million gallons of water a year.

Many of the measures implemented have even exceeded EPA recommendations, according to Mets management. The team will also partner with the EPA by joining its Energy Star and WasteWise programs and will work with the MTA and the LIRR to make mass transit to games more inviting and convenient. Extensive bicycle racks will be installed as well to encourage both fans and employees to bike to games. To quote Alan Steinberg, the EPA’s regional administrator: “As an environmental official and a baseball maniac, it doesn’t get any better than this… The Mets deserve an environmental MVP for their efforts to reduce the carbon footprint and the waste stream from the construction and operation of their new ballpark.”

With a brick exterior facade and main entrance rotunda intended as an homage to the legendary Brooklyn Dodgers’ home Ebbets Field, Citifield will stir the nostalgia of our city’s colorful past, but more significantly, as a model of sustainable building, it will represent the possibilities and hope of a new Big Apple.

For a more comprehensive list of Citifield’s environmentally friendly features, click here. Meanwhile, take a look at what The Gotham Gazette and The NY Times have reported about the new Yankee stadium.

Sources: “New Mets Stadium a Friend to Environment”, mlb.mlb.com; “Citi Field To Be Green Friendly”, www.nysportscene.com; “Yankee Stadium Parkland Swap”, www.gothamgazette.com; “Green Thievery in the South Bronx”, The New York Times.


Posted on Saturday, July 26th, 2008 at 1:57 pm | Tagged in Green Building, New York City, Pollution, Sustainability, Transportation | posted by Bill

AddThis Social Bookmark Button   Print Print   Email Email