Naperville, Ill. (April 17, 2012)—Northern Illinois Food Bank and Ryan Companies US, Inc. announced that the food bank’s new 147,000-square-foot West Suburban Center has been awarded LEED®-NC Gold certification, established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Additionally, the building and Northern Illinois Food Bank have been named the recipients of a prestigious local award by the Illinois Chapter of the USGBC.

The announcement comes approximately six months after Ryan completed the design-assist project, and Northern Illinois Food Bank moved into and became fully operational in the new facility at 273 Dearborn Ct., Geneva, Ill. Ryan completed the construction of the new facility in August 2011. The new building is essentially double the size of its former headquarters which was located in St. Charles, Ill.

In working toward LEED-NC Gold certification, Northern Illinois Food Bank and its design and construction team incorporated a variety of sustainable and energy-saving elements into the new building, including a white roof, air-cooled heat pumps, motion-controlled lighting, high-performance glass, an energy-efficient envelope and recycled and re-used products, among other things. Bike racks as well as preferred parking for electric and hybrid cars and carpooling encourage alternative transportation.

The most significant energy saving feature of the building utilizes a heat recovery operation as part of its HVAC system. The operation takes energy generated by an expansive freezer cooler system and uses it to heat the warehouse area. Additionally, heat also is recovered and used as part of a frost heave prevention system, heating the ground underneath the freezer coolers to prevent expansion problems that normally would occur when the ground is frozen.

“We are extremely proud of the designation our West Suburban Center has achieved through the United States Green Building Council,” Pete Schaefer, president and CEO of Northern Illinois Food Bank, said. “The notion of being a good corporate neighbor and focusing on green and sustainable programs is important to us, and is closely aligned with our overall mission. More importantly, utility cost savings realized will allow us to provide 300,000 more meals for our hungry neighbors this year.”

The new refrigerated food warehouse and distribution facility  constructed by Ryan features 47,000 square feet of office space, 60,000 square feet of dry storage, 20,000 square feet of freezer/cooler space and 20,000 square feet of volunteer circulation area. The space includes both a commercial and production kitchen. Given the design of the building, including 32-foot clear ceiling heights in the storage areas, Northern Illinois Food Bank has effectively doubled its size.

According to Steve Golumbeck, senior project manager, Ryan Companies US, Inc., Northern Illinois Food Bank’s decision to work toward LEED certification never was in doubt given how closely aligned recycling and sustainable initiatives are with the agency’s general mission.

“In simple terms, Northern Illinois Food Bank takes what isn’t being used and redirects it to people in need,” Golumbeck said. “The new facility tells that same story. By being more efficient with so many components of its building, Northern Illinois Food Bank is able to give more to the people and agencies it serves.”

Other sustainable elements of interest, though they may not necessarily have impacted the points awarded for certification, include:

• In the construction process, Ryan used a considerable amount of recycled material; additionally, according to Golumbeck, 75 percent of the construction debris was recycled.
• When the building was being constructed, spaces for three compactors were created, even though only two presently are being used (recycling and trash). A third space will be for food composting, a practice that is currently being refined but will provide an additional way for the Northern Illinois Food Bank to recycle.

“With each new LEED-certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC’s vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, Northern Illinois Food Bank’s facility is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement.”

“With each new LEED-certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC’s vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, Northern Illinois Food Bank’s facility is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement.”

In addition to earning the LEED®-NC Gold certification, the building also has been selected as one of the 2012 U.S. Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter’s Emerald Award winners. Northern Illinois Food Bank won the Board of Directors Award for their leadership and great impact on sustainable building in Illinois.

The Emerald Awards program recognizes outstanding individuals, organizations and projects from across Illinois that are advancing both buildings and communities that are sustainable, prosperous and healthy. The USGBC – Illinois Chapter received over 40 nominations in five separate categories.

Northern Illinois Food Bank will receive its award at the Illinois Chapter’s 10th Anniversary Annual Fundraiser on Thursday, May 10, 2012.

Joining Steve Golumbeck on the Ryan team were Jim Herbst, division manager; Jessica Hladik , project manager; and Jason Cmelo, senior superintendent. Other members of the overall project team included Jeffrey Flemming, AIA, LEED-AP, NCARB, architect; Larson Engineering, Inc., civil, structural and mechanical engineer; and Owner Services Group, Inc., owner’s representative.

About Northern Illinois Food Bank
Northern Illinois Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, is a non-profit organization that provides food to hungry neighbors in 13 Illinois counties through its more than 600 partner agencies. Northern Illinois Food Bank acquires, gathers, handles and distributes donated, government and purchased food to more than 60,000 different people each week through local food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, youth activity centers and other food assistance sites. In Fiscal Year 2011, Northern Illinois Food Bank distributed more than 34.8 million pounds of food, the equivalent of 29 million meals.

About Ryan Companies US, Inc.
Ryan Companies US, Inc. is a national developer, designer, capital investment consultant, builder and real estate manager specializing in fully integrated solutions for more than 70 years. Key market sectors include:  retail, distribution, mission critical, public sector and health care; and product experience includes work on office, retail, multi-housing, industrial, medical office building, senior housing and mission critical facilities.  Ryan serves customers throughout the United States with offices in the NorthCentral, Midwest, Great Lakes, SouthEast, SouthCentral and SouthWest regions. Ryan was named the 2007 National Developer of the Year by the National Association of Office and Industrial Properties (NAIOP). For more information, visit www.ryancompanies.com.