West Springfield bank branch provides green place to grow your green

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - PeoplesBank celebrated the opening of its new, green building on Friday.

The branch on Memorial Avenue in West Springfield is one of just two LEED-certified, green PeoplesBank branches in Massachusetts.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is an internationally-recognized certification system. Buildings that are LEED-certified must be proven to have been designed and built in a way that is energy efficient and good for public heath.

PeoplesBank President and CEO Doug Bowen told 22News that there are many upgrades to their Memorial Avenue branch that will help them save money and improve the local community,

“We have a very high-efficiency HVAC system, in terms of plumbing we use much less water than a building of this type. We also have a rain garden outside, which recaptures the water and puts it back into the environment,” Bowen said.

Construction on another LEED-certified branch will be built in Northampton in 2012.