Ontario City Hall goes green

The sustainable design status is given by the U.S. Green Building Council, City Manager Chris Hughes said.

"The city is a leader in sustainability and it was an opportunity to set an example for the region," Hughes said.

Work on LEED certification started as soon as officials embarked on the 19-month demolition and construction process, said Otto Kroutil, Ontario's Development Agency director.

To improve their chances of reaching the silver rating, Ontario officials had to be sure they recycled as much material as possible from the demolition of the interior of the building, he said.

"We separated all the waste into various types, to minimize the impact on the landfill," Kroutil said.

It was a move that wasn't too hard for the city, which Kroutil said has a very active recycling program.

"The building was so dated, obviously, it was time to bring it into the 21st century," he said.

The building's old power system was not efficient. Energy efficient lighting, which automatically turns off when not being used, has been installed.

The outdated building also lost a lot of heat. Now the new windows in the building are double-pane to block or retain heat, he said.

Another portion of the project was improving the plaza area in the interior courtyard of the building. Trees and new seating have been brought in and a metal shade structure now surrounds the windows. The structure will help block the direct sunlight that would otherwise hit the building, he said. 

In the courtyard, as well throughout the entire building, officials have placed California drought tolerant plants. In an effort to save even more water a drip irrigation system was installed underneath the plants, which releases water directly to the roots.

The city has removed the cement and installed permeable pavers around the building. The change will allow water to seep into the ground rather than creating groundwater runoff, Kroutil said.

"There's lots of little touches that are part of the LEED certification," he said.

And it even extends to the parking lot, Bowman said.

Officials earned extra points if they provided specific parking spots for fuel efficient vehicles, which they did, he said.

"All of that is extremely important," Bowman said. "Investing in public facilities is part of the community's investment and it will pay dividends in the next four or five decades."

But obtaining the certification wasn't all in the building process, Kroutil said.

In fact, Ontario officials will have to wait at least a year after City Hall has reopened to see if they have achieved a silver rating.

That's because Ontario will have to demonstrate to officials that they have taken other steps to be sustainable, such as opting to use environmentally safe cleaning products and reducing paper waste, Kroutil said.

On Monday, the city of Ontario will have a re-dedication ceremony for the newly renovated City Hall. The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. and the grand opening will occur at noon.

The City Council will meet Tuesday in City Hall, 303 E. B Street.