Minneapolis / St. Paul -- The University of Minnesota announced that TCF Bank Stadium has been awarded LEED Silver certification. Located on the East Bank of the Twin Cities campus, the 50,805-seat TCF Bank Stadium, designed by Populous, is the new home for Golden Gopher Football and the University of Minnesota Marching Band. It is just the 6th on-campus football stadium of its size to be built in the last 50 years.

"There's no better experience than seeing 50,000 Gopher fans coming back to campus to celebrate Minnesota football, and to be able to do that in a stadium that's respectful of the environment was paramount for us from day one," said Scott Radecic, Populous senior principal.”And perhaps more importantly, the University now has a stadium that’s not only environmentally sustainable, but economically and socially sustainable as well.”

LEED Certification of TCF Bank Stadium was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community. The campus location of the stadium leant itself to several opportunities, including alternative transportation, development density, shared mechanical equipment with nearby facilities and a reduced need for additional surface parking. The stadium is within a five-minute walk of more than 200 transit stops per day on 13 transportation routes.

Other sustainable design elements include:

* A stormwater management system that allows rain water to be captured into a comprehensive underground filtering system outside the stadium, where it is harvested, filtered and drained into the Mississippi River.

* Extensive measures taken to ensure the proper function, both now and in the future, of the project’s energy related systems.

* Incorporating water efficiency measures, such as regulated lavatory faucets and low-flow urinals that are expected to save 560,000 gallons of water per year, and low-maintenance landscape design that will save 4.8 million gallons of water per year.

* Graphic design elements that enhance the educational experience of learning more about the building’s green design elements.

"TCF Bank Stadium is an historic project for the university and it was important to us to do it right," said University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks. "This designation, in particular, underscores the commitment of the Board of Regents and the leadership of the university to principles of sustainability, energy conservation and responsible stewardship of our environment and our resources."