City of Elgin Projects
Elgin is committed to becoming a more sustainable community and preserving resources for future generations. The City is currently seeking to create an environmental master plan to establish parameters by which it will operate. Until that plan is completed, Elgin is moving forward with a series of eco-friendly projects including:
Riverside Drive Storm Water Project which filters water from storm runoff to protect the Fox River and the surrounding environment from fertilizers, oils, grease and other non-natural materials which runoff during a storm into the river.
Connecting bike pathways to provide for a seamless transition along the Fox River.
Purchasing hybrid vehicles to reduce reliance on gasoline.
Working with the Gail Borden Library and the Fox River Renaissance Group to improve overall water quality in the Elgin area while also improving water quality for the entire river system.
Providing residents with a city-wide recycling program. The program which began in 2002 has increased recycling from nearly 7,500 tons annually to nearly 15,000 tons every year.
Developing Fire Station #7 and #8 within green standards. Recycled flooring materials and light sensors will be installed. Light sensors are energy efficient since they automatically adjust lighting levels depending upon how much natural sunlight is in a room.
Converting all of the City’s traffic signals to LED and reducing its electric consumption by nearly 90%.
Other green projects in Elgin
Sherman Hospital’s expansion along Randall Road which will include the development of a geothermal lake – one of the largest lake loop heat-pump systems in the world and the first built by an Illinois hospital. The geothermal lake is projected to reduce Sherman’s gas and electric costs by nearly $1 million annually.
Judson University’s construction of its new Harm A. Weber Academic Center integrates such green features as natural ventilation, natural light and sustainable energy circulation. It expects to reduce operational fossil fuel costs by 50%. The building has been designed to meet the standards of the U.S. Department of Energy high-performance buildings and expects to earn a LEED silver rating by the U.S. Green Building Council. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings an promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
Elgin Academy’s new 42,300 sq.-0ft. Media, Science and Fine Arts Center construction has been designed to attain a “Gold Level” LEED Certification awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Waste Management’s Transfer Station, near the intersection of Gifford Road and Bluff City Blvd., was built to attain the “Silver Level” LEED certification. The project was designed with a green roof for wetlands mitigation and it also seeks to reuse gray water. Gray water is runoff from sinks, roofs and parking lots.
