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Syracuse University’s Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center has earned LEED® certification, established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), for its green design and construction. The SU community will celebrate this distinction in sustainability at an event on Tuesday, Feb. 14, from 2-4 p.m. at the Melo Center. 

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the nation’s pre-eminent program for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

Opened in 2009, the $19 million Melo Center is named for former Orange basketball standout and New York Knick Carmelo Anthony, who provided a gift representing one of the largest individual donations to Syracuse University Athletics. The building was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, King + King Architects, with construction by Hayner Hoyt Corp.

“Achieving LEED certification for the Carmelo Center is a significant milepost on SU’s road to a more sustainable future,” says SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. “Our growing portfolio of certifiably green buildings vividly demonstrates that we are contributing to a healthier, sustainable environment for our both local and global communities. 

“The University’s goal to achieve climate neutrality by the year 2040 requires us to continually raise the bar to improve the performance and efficiency of each new building and major retrofit project,” says Eric Beattie, director of SU’s Office of Campus Planning, Design and Construction. “The entire design and construction team is proud of the Carmelo Center and we are pleased to have partnered with Athletics to create a wonderful facility that helps achieve our goals for sustainability and success in men’s and women’s basketball.” 

“We are very proud of the overall team effort that contributed to the successful design and construction of this LEED Certified project,” says Kirk Narburgh, partner at King + King Architects. “The sustainable features of the Carmelo Anthony Basketball Practice Facility enhance the lives of Syracuse University’s men’s and women’s basketball coaches, staff and student athletes and provides an environment that promotes the highest level of training and human performance.” 

Presenting the LEED plaque to the University at the Feb. 14 event will be S. Richard Fedrizzi G’87, USGBC president, CEO and founding chair. “Syracuse University has cultivated one of the nation’s best college basketball programs, on and off the court,” says Fedrizzi. “The Melo Center’s LEED certification underscores that commitment to leadership and provides a healthful setting for Syracuse players and staff, while setting a precedent for how we think about and design athletic facilities everywhere.” 

The 54,000 square-foot state-of-the-art complex features a top-grade basketball center with two full practice courts, as well men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms and film rooms; coaches suites, which are located on the second floor and overlook the two courts; the Tobin Academic suite; a strength and conditioning facility; an athletic training suite, which includes a hydro-therapy room, complete with state-of-the-art pools; men’s and women’s coaching staff locker room suites; and an equipment room between the team locker rooms.

The basketball court area is 13,750 square feet and made of first-grade maple.

Among the Melo Center’s additional LEED/sustainability achievements are:

• The building is designed to use 30 percent less water, and almost 20 percent less energy than a typical new building;
• More than half of the construction and demolition waste was recycled or reused–30,000 cubic yards of soil were removed in order to make room for the building footprint;
• Approximately 20 percent of the materials used in the building are made from recycled materials;
• Approximately 20 percent of the materials used in the building were extracted and manufactured in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region;
• A healthier indoor environment is provided for players, coaches and staff through the use of high-efficiency mechanical system filtration and the use of building materials that to not emit hazardous gasses.

The Melo Center is the latest addition to the University’s portfolio of LEED-certified buildings, which includes Ernie Davis Hall, the Syracuse Center of Excellence, and two Near Westside ‘From the Ground Up’ homes.  

Anthony, who helped lead Syracuse to the 2003 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, officially helped open the facility in September 2009 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and by taking the first official “shot” on the new practice courts. According to the nonprofit Giving Back Fund, Anthony was recently recognized as being among the top celebrities for giving in 2010. Through the Carmelo Anthony Foundation, he invests in programs, leaders and community organizations that empower and provide opportunities for underserved kids and families.

For more information on the Melo Center, visit: .