Twins hope to LEED the way
Sorry about the bad pun in the headline. I couldn't help myself. The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal is reporting that the Ballpark Authority and the Minnesota Twins have promised to spend an additional $2.5 million in an attempt to win LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for their new baseball stadium. The U.S. Green Building Council allocates points to buildings seeking the nation's top energy-efficiency rating, but only after construction is complete. Two other sports stadiums now under construction also hope to win LEED approval: Washington Nationals ballpark and the University of Minnesota Gophers football stadium. The Twins stadium, which is due to open in 2010, is likely to get points for being on two train lines (Hiawatha and Northstar) and for using local materials.