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Marlins Stadium Gets Green Home Run For Environmental Design

MIAMI (CBS4)- The Florida Marlins have changed their colors, their team logo and they are going green. The new stadium is standing out for its environmental efforts.

From the windows to the walls the sky is no limit for the stadium's goal to go green by next spring.

So what makes the 37,000 seater an environmental gem?

The glass walls allows natural light in and saves money.

Offices also feature motion sensor lights that simply turn on by themselves and saves electricity

Patrick Delano, senior project manager from Hunt/Moss, said the design also left a lot of outdoor space.

"They have got a whole host of trees and plants that they will be planting over in that area," he said.

When it comes to transportation, there are 276 spaces reserved for fuel efficient vehicles, there's space for bike storage and options for bus routes.

"When you put all these pieces together it makes a difference," said Claude Delorme, executive vice president of ballpark development.

Slideshow: Marlins Stadium Construction

Sealed air ducts inside the stadium during construction will improve air quality, CBS4's Jorge Estevez reported.

The stadium hosts a number of recycled materials, from the plastic chairs to the steel used to make support beams.

Speaking of recycled material, the locker room floor is made from recycled Nike sneakers.

Notably, locally produced concrete used cuts down on transporting materials.

"So that's less trucks on the road and less CO2 emissions on the road," Delano said.

But the green goals didn't stop there. The kitchen hosts energy efficient appliances and the hood is self cleaning, which means no chemicals are needed.

The paint in the stadium emits less toxic fumes, Estevez reported.

Water usage will be down by 50 percent, thanks in part to waterless urinals. That represents savings of 4.4 million gallons of water.

The most impressive part about the Marlins ball park has got to be the roof, Estevez reported. It is covered with a white membrane, which will help deflect the heat.

"By reflecting it, it disperses it much more evenly and it provides a much cooler setting for the surrounding area," Delorme said.

What about all the extra construction materials?

Ninety-eight percent will get recycled, with only two percent going to the land fill.

With all this, the new ball park hopes to make other complexes green with envy.

"If we could lead professional sports to the next standard and look at Miami, then it will have been a huge success," Delano said.

They are applying for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. They want silver, but are giving it a shot of getting gold. But that will not happen until the stadium opens on April 4, 2012.

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