At a press conference yesterday, officials with Spurs Sports & Entertainment announced the changes, which came after a $190,000 grant from the San Antonio Water System.

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After years of planning, several false starts and some unexpected lack of support from state officials, the new $80-million Duluth Entertainment Convention Center is on track for a December 31, 2010 opening date following more than two years of construction.

The complex's showcase will be a 6,600-seat arena slated to host home games for the University of Minnesota-Duluth hockey teams.

But what makes the arena notable is the emphasis on sustainability and green practices. Architects and designers say they're going for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification -- and if this is achieved, the new DECC arena will be one of the first in the United States to achieve such a designation.

Welcome to Green Sports Venues, the only place covering the intersection of sports venues and green/sustainable technologies. It seems, at first glance, like an odd mix: our conception of the average sports fan doesn’t really allow for recognition of sustainable living practices.

But the sports world has been a leader in showcasing green and sustainable living practices. You can find LEED-certified facilities in minor- and major-league baseball, with more on the way in the arena and football-stadium worlds. This past season Major League Baseball embarked on an industry-wide program where teams were buying carbon credits, reducing landfill waste, and focusing on sustainable procurement. The assumption for any new sports facility is that it will be designed to sustainable specifications – if not up to LEED standards, then close to them, especially if the facility is receiving university or government support. Arena managers are looking at renovating their facilities to be more sustainable. Wastewater management, green roofs, solar panels…these are all becoming an increasingly common part of the sports-facility dialogue.

And that’s where Green Sports Venues comes in. August Publications, creator of this Website, has a presence in both fields. August Publications is already the leading Internet publisher in the sports-business world, with tens of thousands of readers checking in weekly to sites like Ballpark Digest, Arena Digest, Football Stadium Digest, Soccer Stadium Digest and College Sports Venues. And with upcoming sustainable Websites on the way, August Publications is staking out its claim in the green/sustainable field as well.

Though the Cowboys and architect HKS did not design the new stadium to LEED standards, they did include many environmentally advanced features in the $1.1 billion facility, slated to open for the 2009 NFL season.