The Richmond Hill City Center was named a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified building by the U.S. Green Building Council, city officials learned last week.

City Manager Mike Melton announced the certification during a Richmond Hill City Council meeting Tuesday.
 “(It’s) a very nice accomplishment, I think,” he said

LEED buildings are built to be environmentally-friendly and are designed to reduce waste, conserve energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be a healthier and safer environment for its occupants, according to the Green Building Council’s website.

There are four tiers of LEED accomplishments that dictate how “green” a building is: LEED Certified, LEED Silver, LEED Gold and LEED Platinum, according to the website.

The Richmond Hill City Center got the LEED Certified accolade, according to a press release issued by J.T. Turner Construction, the company that helped build the facility.

Some of the City Center’s “green” features include spray foam insulation, environmentally friendly building materials and paint, and building materials from local and recycled sources, according to Josh Brooks, the director of construction. During construction, workers also recycled 200 tons of waste.

The City Center opened its doors in April 2010. The facility, a 22,800-square-foot building in J.F. Gregory Park, is designed to host weddings, private events and corporate meetings, cost $6.2 million to build.