Did you know that the Javits Center has a 6.75 acre green roof, hiding atop the building? On this upcoming free tour on September 20th with Untapped Cities, you will get a behind the scenes look at the Javits Center, go on the green roof (the second largest of its kind in the United States), meet in house staff and learn how management balances sustainability initiatives while maintaining a $2 billion economic impact operation. Plus, for the first time this year, the Javits Center will be expanding tours to include its three bee hives – which produced more than 250 ounces of honey last year during their first harvest. The honey was used to create a new salad dressing offered with a salad at the convention center. One special guest who correctly answers a trivia question on the tour will receive a jar of Jacob’s Honey, the Javits Center’s honey!
The 760,000 square-feet Jacob K. Javits Center is the busiest convention center in the United States. Beyond its purpose as a venue, the center places a heavy focus on sustainability initiatives. In 2014, the Javits Center completed a five-year renovation project focused on upgrading the building’s critical infrastructure, including the installation of new façade, flooring, mechanical and sustainability systems. These upgrades have allowed the building to reduce its energy consumption by 26%, saving millions of dollars in annual energy costs. With its renovation, the building received LEED Silver certification and is on track to meeting the goal of exceeding New York State’s mandate of reducing energy and water consumption by 20% by the year 2020. The building has become a model of sustainability and now serves as a sanctuary to area wildlife. On the green roof, researchers have identified 26 bird species, five bat species, 11 orders of arthropods and 300,000 honeybees.