Bellevue’s City Hall is the only city hall in Washington and one of just seven nationwide to earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s prestigious Energy Star award for superior energy efficiency.

City staff reported Monday that the EPA recently bestowed the award on City Hall for its green building design and energy-efficient equipment and systems. Only 2,200 office buildings nationwide have received the Energy Star award since its inception in 1992.

The distinctive terra cotta and silver City Hall building opened to the public in early 2006. Formerly used to house telephone switching equipment for a telecommunications company, the building underwent extensive renovations. Public safety and other municipal services were consolidated in a central, downtown location at the new City Hall.

Besides the Energy Star award, the Bellevue City Hall also has received a Commendation Award from the Seattle Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The chapter noted the building represented “a powerful urban move that transform(ed) a formerly suburban office building into an important city destination.”

City Hall also received a merit award from the AIA. The regional jury noted that the ambitious renovation project was “an insightful and successful transformation of a drab, former telecommunications building into a state-of-the-art public amenity.”