2022 USGBC-LA Sustainable Innovation Awards
Honor in Equity & Environmental Justice
The project site occurs north of Slauson Avenue between Normandie Boulevard, and Budlong Avenue. The overall site, an abandoned rail right-of-way and brownfield site is 81 feet wide by 1,250 feet long totaling 2.3 acres. Approximately 40% of the site area is comprised of the Metro Rail to River Bike Trail project and approximately 60% is the Slauson Connect project site. The site is owned by LA Metro and will be leased to the City via the Department of General Services. The proposed site is an urban infill site, substantially surrounded by light industrial, commercial, and residential uses in a highly urbanized area. In addition to the restrictions of the narrow width of the site, soil remediation will also be required.
The Slauson Connect Recreation Center project will increase the availability of recreational opportunities and open space, and provide childcare facilities, and media art-focused afterschool programs in an underserved neighborhood in South Los Angeles. The 16,000 square foot multifaceted facility will also house flex spaces to accommodate a variety of recreation related programs.
Sustainable design features for the project include photovoltaic panels and energy efficient mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems to meet net zero energy needs, all electrical power to meet the City’s decarbonization standards, an intensive vegetated roof garden available to the community, a stormwater treatment system with cisterns for urban runoff collection from both Normandie and Budlong, and a public park integrated with Metro’s bikeway. The project will be designed and constructed in order to obtain a Gold level certification for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system of the latest USGBC requirements and Living Building Challenge ZNE certification.