Congratulations to UC Berkeley’s Athletic Stadium
Famed California Memorial Stadium Earns Second Place for Greenest College Stadiums in the Country
Earning second place honors behind University of North Texas’ Apogee Stadium, UC Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium was recognized by the country’s top environmental program for its sustainability and efforts to go “green.” LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the name of the program that recognizes buildings for their design, construction, operation, and maintenance as high-performance “green” structures. LEED is led by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), a private 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that promotes sustainability of all building types throughout every phase of their building lifecycle. Through LEED, structures are awarded points toward one of the four levels of LEED certification: Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.
California Memorial Stadium was awarded the Gold LEED certification for being a “…landmark example of adaptive reuse” that was renovated and retrofitted against earthquakes without changing its historic appearance. The 72,000 seat stadium was reopened in 2012 with a facelift totaling $321 million dollars.
California Memorial Stadium’s Significance Today
The Stadium was originally built in 1923 as a tribute to the military heroes who lost their lives in World War 1. Today, the stadium boasts a very proud community of supporters who gather faithfully to route on their Golden Bears.
As we honor the Veterans on Wednesday, November 11, 2015, we remember all of the men and women who have fought to protect our American Freedom, and the Freedom of those who will come after us. We give honor and thanks to those who have bravely enlisted and to their families who have had to lead their lives without their loved ones present. We are humbled and saddened by the fallen warriors and live each day knowing they died for our Freedom.
The significance of the history of the California Memorial Stadium is not lost on the City of Berkeley, or on the hundreds of student-veterans who attend UC Berkeley. Cal celebrated a new student-veteran campus center last year with a generous $500,000 gift from US Veteran and Berkeley alumni, Coleman Fung. Ron Williams, director of Re-entry Student and Veteran Services reiterates the impact of student-veterans, “Veterans enhance our campus community with their life experience and dedication to public service, which is a core value of UC Berkeley.”
Safety is a Primary Concern
With the number of Northern California earthquakes totally almost 500 in the past month, it is satisfying to know the California Memorial Stadium has been earthquake-retrofitted. On October 17, we remembered the violent Loma Prieta Quake that caused severe damage and death 26 years ago in and around Berkeley’s surrounding area. And while no structure is 100% earthquake proof, it is reassuring to know that measures have taken place inside the stadium in the event of another significant earth quake.
Proud to Work in a Green Community
The Sexton Real Estate Group is proud to have become one of the premier real estate leaders of Berkeley. Our love and appreciation for this town goes far back, and we are honored to be part of a community that cares so much about preserving the environment through efforts such as the green initiative of California Memorial Stadium, celebrating our Veterans through school programs, and keeping our community safe.
If you or anyone you know would like to relocate to Berkeley or would like more information about our awesome city, please contact us or give us a ring at 510.549.1003.
