JAIR LYNCH, along with our joint venture partners Alpha Corporation, Mayor Adrian Fenty, Councilmembers Muriel Bowser (Ward 4) and Harry Thomas (Ward 5), and DPR Director Clark Ray celebrated the opening of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center on April 12, 2008. The grand opening event was attended by hundreds of members of the Riggs Park neighborhood, including the
Coolidge High School Marching Band and Riggs-LaSalle staff members, many of whom live in the neighborhood.
Among the features of the new Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center are an indoor gymnasium with bleachers, weight and fitness rooms, computer lab, multipurpose room, restrooms with showers and lockers and an outdoor sprinkler park.
“I drive by the site every day and it makes me smile to see it," Councilmember Bowser remarked. "I saw a young mother coming around the corner, and she saw the splash park and her eyes lit up.”
The 16,000 SF facility also features the latest energy efficient technology, including a permanent green roof to help regulate the building's temperature and manage storm water. Its construction materials are consistent with the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) rating system to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED®) Gold Certification, the first District-owned building to do so. This is the second
LEED® certified building delivered by JAIR LYNCH and Alpha Corporation. The first was Lamond Recreation Center, which was the first District-owned building to receive a LEED® Silver certification.
The center is located in the Riggs Park neighborhood and sits adjacent to La Salle Elementary School, whose sixth graders monitored the progress of the project and participated in the grand opening celebration. The students learned about all of the activities and jobs that are part of developing such a facility, hearing presentations on everything from soil sample testing to final inspection punch out lists. Riggs-LaSalle is a great example of how JAIR LYNCH works with neighborhoods, the city and officials to develop something that instills a sense of pride in all who are involved.
