On a visit to the new Lake Station Municipal Complex at 1969 Central Avenue, I discovered that it's kind of like the TARDIS (Doctor Who fans let me hear you)-- bigger on the inside :)

The facility, which Mayor Keith Soderquist says could be the greenest in the state, incorporates city hall, the police department, city offices, council/court chamber, and a room on the second floor that can be rented out by the public for private functions (receptions, etc). 

However, you really need to visit it in person to walk through and take in everything that's in there, because I don't think you really realize how much that is standing outside of it (that's the TARDIS part).

Environment-wise, the facility features features like wind turbines, solar panels, LED lights, a towering skylight in the center area... and, a green roof, the kind you can walk on. 


Green roof, Lake Station Municipal Complex, close up, 032812

The living roof (I think it's sedum and a sedum or sedum-like groundcover) helps insulate, absorbs rainwater, and also filters rainwater that can be used on the rest of the grounds (instead of the water just running off into the sewers).


Laura on the green roof

In this picture that's actually the white inside of the roof wall behind me, with the tree line behind it, and the sky above it. For more info on seeing the facility for yourself, call City Hall at 219-962-2081 --lw