The newly renovated Robert J. Collins Arena, located on the Brookdale Community College campus in Lincroft, New Jersey, is a multi-purpose facility used for athletic competitions and special events.  This premier venue was modernized in 2010 to further accommodate concerts, trade shows, tournaments and more. Renovations included upgrades to the seating, flooring, restrooms, concessions, coaches and training rooms, locker rooms, and the HVAC system as well as the installation of new elevators. The new Addition includes fitness center weights and aerobics rooms, locker rooms and a new gymnasium and 4 lane indoor track.
 
On the lower level, the arena floor serves as the home to the Jersey Blues men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams. The main floor of the arena has a distinct floor plan and is approximately 17,000 square feet.  The seating layout forms the shape of a capital letter “D”, with one straight section and two curved sections. New bleachers were installed in the two curved sections and premium seats (individual stadium seats with back support) were added to the straight section.

The Collins Arena Renovation & Addition project has been awarded LEED Silver Certification in the the LEED for New Construction program, version 2.2.  Examples of some of the sustainable, ‘green’ features incorporated into the building include:

• The existing arena building was protected and renovated, with over 80% of the walls, floors, roof and structure saved.
• The portions of the building removed from the site were being reused or recycled instead of sent to landfill.  The overall recycling rate of construction debris is over 94%
• Preferred parking for fuel efficient & low-emitting vehicles has been provided near the entrance.
• No new parking was added.
• Over 57% of the site has been restored with native and adapted vegetation.
• No permanent irrigation system is required by the native and adapted vegetation.
• Stormwater runoff rate and quantity has been reduced from the existing site conditions by removing impervious materials and adding infiltration swales and detention ponds.
• Low flow and low flush plumbing fixtures have been selected to reduce water use by over 40% compared to the national standards.  This results in an estimated water savings of 126,615 gallons per year.
• New mechanical and electrical systems in the existing building and efficient systems in the Recreation Center addition is expected to save at least 20% compared to a code-compliant building.  Other efficient features include high performance windows, efficient lighting, demand controlled ventilation, economizer controls contribute to an expected savings of  $59,200 per year, 303,279 kWh of electricity and 9,400 therms of natural gas.
• The contractor met goals for 20% of materials with recycled content and 10% regional materials, as well as at least 50% of wood being from Forest Stewardship Council certified sources.
• Ventilation systems have been upgraded to meet the LEED perquisite of meeting national standard ASHRAE 62.1-2004.
• Low-emitting materials have been specified for adhesives, sealants, paints, carpets and composite wood to reduce indoor air contaminants.

Photos courtesy of Clarke Caton Hintz.