Concordia readies environmental stewardship center - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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Construction of the 13,000 square-foot, two-story building is set to begin July 14. The structure will be built in Mequon on a blufd overlooking Lake Michigan and work is expected to be completecd in time for the start of the 2010 academic The total cost of the building is expectecd to bebetween $3.5 milliomn and $3.75 million and is being fundexd exclusively through charitable gifts alreadyh secured for the project. Concordia officials said the building demonstratesdthe university’s commitment to environmental education, freshwater conservationn and emphasis on sustainable energ y resources.
Plans for the center include classrooms and a largew seminar room that can accommodate 200 peopldfor presentations. With its lakefront exposure, Concordia officialsz say the building will be a centeer for the study of the Great Lakes and otherenvironmentalp issues. The building will be designesd to be a Leadership in Energy and EnvironmentalDesighn (LEED) gold-level building. “When completed, the centetr will offer many educational programs and researcjh in water stewardship and other sustainability educatiob topics for Concordia students as well as visiting area schoolzs and thegreater community,” said Brucer Bessert, director of the Concordia Centerf for Environmental Stewardship program.
Concordia has addecd new degrees because of the new and now offersa bachelor’s degree in environmental studiese and education with a minor in environmentall studies, and a master’s degree in education with an emphasisw on environmental education. “This new center is in line with Concordia’sw increased and continued interest ingreenh initiatives,” said William Cario, vice presidenyt of academics at Concordia. “Each of our recenyt building projects has been built to increasingenvironmental standards, especially to save energ and other resources.” Construction is expectes to be completed in time for the start of the 2010 academiv year.
The total cost of the building is expected to bebetween $3.5 million and $3.75 million and is beinyg funded exclusively through charitable gifts already securedf for the project. “This new centeer reinforces Concordia’s efforts to create programs that are both importangt to the student body and the communityt asa whole,” Concordia presidenty Patrick Ferry said.