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Providence Park is greener than ever after achieving LEED Gold certification

The home of the green and gold is one of two LEED-certified sports venues in Portland.

The view from Providence Parks' Tanner Ridge seating area shows an elevated view of the stadium and the tops of the hills in the distance. The Portland Thorns warm up for a game in the 2022 Women's International Champions Cup against Monterrey.

Providence Park reached LEED Gold standing nearly 100 years after the stadium was first built.

Photo by Ben McBee, PDXtoday

The home of the green and gold is looking extra green. The U.S. Green Building Council awarded Providence Park one of the highest environmental architecture awards: LEED Gold certification.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a green building rating system recognized worldwide, providing “a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings.” There are four levels — certified, silver, gold, and platinum — with points awarded across several categories like transportation, innovation, and water efficiency. The Moda Center is the only other sports venue in Portland with a LEED designation.

Providence Park achieved LEED Silver certification in 2011; the stadium’s east side was upgraded to Gold following the 2019 expansion project.

The Timbers attributed the full stadium’s LEED Gold status to:

  • Diverting 44% of park waste from landfills in the last year with the help of COR Disposal & Recycling
  • New LED lighting
  • Free public transportation on gamedays in partnership with TriMet
  • A new reusable drinkware program
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