On June 28, 2017 the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) announced that the Shady Grove Parking Garage was awarded Parksmart certification at the bronze level. Parksmart is the world’s only rating system designed to advance sustainable mobility through smarter siting, design and operations while using fewer resources.
USG's second campus parking structure, is a project that will help pave the way for the planned addition of USG’s Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Education Facility (BSE) opening in fall 2019. The $20 million garage opened in mid 2016 and was funded by Montgomery County.
To make way for the new garage, USG relocated the entrance to the campus, and the County installed a new traffic light. The new garage provides 700 parking spaces for students, visitors and staff, and is handicap accessible. The BSE Facility will allow the campus to serve thousands of additional students in STEMM fields and other academic programs.
The following features can be found in the Shady Grove parking garage, in accordance with the sustainability efforts on campus:
- Discounted rates are offered to fuel efficient vehicle owners and to those who carpool
- LED lights with motion sensors
- Photovoltaic panels mounted on the roof will generate onsite renewable energy
- 99.5% of the construction waste was recycled or reused in the garage
- 75% of the materials that were used for the construction of the garage were sourced regionally
- Covered bicycle racks and bicycle self-serve maintenance station
- Rain gardens surrounding the garage treat storm runoff
- Native species and drought resistant landscaping
Dr. Stewart Edelstein, Executive Director of the Universities at Shady Grove, stated "Having the Shady Grove Garage green certified stands as a testament to USG's commitment to environmental stewardship. USG is a growing community, and with every expansion of the campus, we work continuously to ensure that USG remains a leader in sustainable development. USG is a learning laboratory where community members and government leaders can work collaboratively with students, staff and faculty to propel new green initiatives that impact not only the campus but across the region."
“The Universities at Shady Grove recognizes the benefits of sustainable mobility through smarter parking design and operations,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, President and CEO, GBCI and the U.S. Green Building Council. “Through its Parksmart certification, the Universities at Shady Grove is encouraging the adoption of energy efficiency and increased performance and dramatically reducing overall operational costs.”
"The Shady Grove Garage serves as a gateway to the campus of the Universities at Shady Grove, expressing the university’s ideals as a center for academic research and technology while acknowledging its relationship as part of the Life Sciences Center District in Montgomery County," said Dan McKelvey, ASG Architects. "The garage exemplifies the university’s and design team’s commitment to sustainable design. Through the implementation of sustainable technologies and materials in the facilities design, construction, and operation the facility serves as an example to educate for environmental awareness, community engagement, and global thinking."
Pictured (Left to Right): Chip Merrill, UMCP Capital Projects; Jane Briggs, USG Director of Facilities and Planning; Jamie Statter, Parksmart Vice President Strategic Relationships;
Dr. Stewart Edelstein, USG Executive Director; Dan McKelvey, ASG Architects; Gary Gilliam, Donley's Construction Manager;
Joy Nurmi, Special Assistant to the Montgomery County Executive Office & USG Board of Advisors; Tina Benjamin, Montgomery County Executive Office Special Projects.