DART Central Station has been certified LEED Platinum, the highest certification of the LEED Rating System of the U.S. Green Building Council.
“The Greater Des Moines region is striving to be a more sustainable community, and we’re proud to offer DART Central Station as a visible symbol of that commitment,” said Steve Van Oort, Polk County supervisor and commission chairman of the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority.
DART Central Station achieved LEED Platinum through sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Highlights include:
- 24 percent of construction materials were recycled;
- 28 percent of the materials were manufactured regionally
- 70 geothermal wells help with heating and cooling;
- 23,100 kilowatt hours of energy have been generated since opening by rooftop photovoltaic panels, a savings of 39,274 pounds of carbon dioxide
- 1.2 million gallons of rainwater have been captured, cleaned and reused in place of potable water since opening for tasks such as washing bus platforms – 63 percent of total water used
- 60 percent total energy cost savings.
The station opened in November 2012 at 620 Cherry Street in downtown Des Moines, replacing the former Walnut Street Transit Mall as DART’s primary transfer location. The station features many amenities including climate-controlled waiting areas, covered loading platforms, a bicycle storage room and Java Joes CoffeeHouse.
DART Central Station is the work of many people and firms. Substance Architecture led the design team and The Weitz Company led the construction team, with contributions from numerous local companies.
