Daily News

MGM Springfield Receives Industry’s First LEED Platinum Certification

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Resorts International announced that MGM Springfield has received the world’s first U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) New Construction Platinum level certification for a gaming resort.

MGM Springfield, which opened in August 2018, is the company’s most recent development. Working closely with state and city officials, as well as the local community, MGM Resorts committed to designing and building a property that exemplifies the company’s values in support of environmental sustainability and positive social impact while honoring local history and architecture.

A significant enabler of the LEED Platinum rating is the property’s new solar array, which will supply renewable electricity to the facility. In partnership with GE Solar, a subsidiary of General Electric based in Massachusetts, MGM Springfield will install a 1.13-megawatt solar canopy on the eighth floor, on top of the MGM Springfield garage. This array is expected to generate more than 1,600 megawatt hours of electricity, helping reduce the property’s annual carbon footprint by approximately 410 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

“As a values-driven company, we are immensely proud that MGM Springfield is the first resort in the gaming industry to achieve the LEED Platinum certification,” said Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International. “We are grateful for the response we have received from the community since opening our doors in August 2018, and we will continue to strive to be a good neighbor and explore innovative ways to improve operations, guest experiences, and the surrounding areas.”

Among its sustainable design and development elements, MGM Springfield:

• Redeveloped and revitalized a tornado-impacted site in the South End;

• Integrated smart energy infrastructure and submeters through the facility to help monitor and control the property’s electrical and mechanical systems to support year-round energy efficiency;

• Designed for significant on-site electricity generation;

• Installed 50 electric vehicle-charging stations and 140 low-emitting fuel-efficient vehicle parking spaces in some of the most preferable locations of the guest and employee garages, to encourage the use of more environmentally preferable modes of transportation;

• Diverted more than 95% of construction and demolition waste by weight from landfills during construction;

• Selected products from manufacturers that disclose information about the ingredients in their products;

• Used interior finishes such as paints, sealants, coatings, adhesives, carpeting, and composite wood products with low or no volatile organic chemicals and free of urea-formaldehyde, helping to create healthier spaces for guests and employees; and

• Created a rainwater-harvesting system and underground cistern to capture, store, and treat rainwater onsite, allowing 100% of water for landscaping to come from this source.

Working with community partners, the MGM Springfield development project includes multiple buildings within the city of Springfield, including a daycare facility, entertainment venues, and more. All aspects of this project have already achieved or are seeking a minimum of LEED Gold certification.