Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium Earns LEED Platinum Designation

The home of the Minnesota Vikings and host of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Final Four has become the first professional sports venue to be certified as LEED Platinum.

U.S. Bank Stadium received the rating after using the Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M) rating system for existing buildings. The LEED Platinum achievement for Operations and Maintenance is scored on the Arc performance platform, measuring several sectors of environmental practices including water reduction, waste diversion/reduction, energy efficiency and the promotion of alternative transportation.

“Being the first professional sports stadium to receive LEED Platinum certification using Arc speaks to the importance that our stadium partners put on creating a sustainable, environmentally friendly operation at U.S. Bank Stadium,” said Michael Vekich, chair of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority. “As stewards of this facility, it is our responsibility to be on the forefront of sustainable operations. In order to achieve our goals, we have educated our staff and clients, developed sustainable processes and procedures, and invested in state-of-the-art infrastructure for our stadium.”

U.S. Bank Stadium over the past three years has operated the 2018 Super Bowl as a “Zero Waste” event with 91 percent of the event’s waste diverted to a landfill, and it also supplied over 180 bike racks and donated 25,000 pounds of food. The stadium is powered 100 percent by wind energy thanks to renewable energy credits and it supported environmental education with sustainability tours for school students.

LEED Platinum is the highest rating level offered through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, created by the U.S. Green Building Council to recognize achievements in sustainability.

“Sports bring people and communities together, and U.S. Bank Stadium is a space that not only unifies Vikings fans, but provides a healthy, green and high-performing building for all to enjoy,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council. “The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, SMG, Minnesota Vikings, Aramark and all stadium partners understand the value of LEED and have exemplified extraordinary leadership in reshaping their community.”