A Greener Playing Field

By Eliza Barclay

In sports, April was a big month, with major arenas that are home to professional basketball and ice hockey teams announcing the receipt of LEED certification, a third-party verification of their green building operations and performance.

The American Airlines Arena in Miami and Philips Arena in Atlanta joined the Washington Nationals Ballpark in Washington, DC and Detroit Lions Headquarters and Training Facility as professional sports facilities that have earned the label "green," according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which developed LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) standards. The arenas house baseball, football, basketball, and ice hockey teams.

Seven other university and private sports facilities, including tracks and gymnasiums, have earned LEED certification. And according to USGBC spokesman Marie Coleman, 139 sporting arenas have applied for LEED certification or are in the process of greening.

A Greener Playing Field....

Ballpark's Final Tag: $693 million

BY Tim Lemke

Nationals Park already has a season under its belt, but the final touches on the stadium's construction are just wrapping up. And we finally have a total price tag for the project: $693 million.

Remember when it was $535 million? Or $611 million. Or $631 million. Yeah, well that seems like ages ago.

The sports commission is in the process of executing a "close-out' agreement with the stadium construction team, Clark-Hunt-Smoot. Basically, the completion of that agreement means the work is done.

Ballpark's Final Tag: $693 million....