Los Angeles Department of Water and Power General Manager Marcie Edwards, then-Councilmember Tom LaBonge, 4th District, Christopher Martin of the architectural firm that designed the building, A.C. Martin and U.S. Green Building Council CEO Rick Fedrizzi marked the golden anniversary of the John Ferraro Building (JFB) at a ceremony outside the utility’s headquarters in Downtown Los Angeles on June 24.

LADWP also announced the building’s new designation as a prestigious LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certified facility and hosted an open house and architectural/sustainability panel discussion.

Fifty years after it was built, the building earned its LEED Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance (EBOM) certification, recognized for best-in-class building strategies and practices.

“We celebrated not only the 50th Anniversary of this iconic downtown building, but also the transformation that has occurred within the building to make it a model of energy and water efficiency,” Edwards said. “We’re committed to providing reliable water and electricity to our customers at the lowest rates around, but also committed to doing so in a sustainable manner.”

Members of the public, employees, retirees and guests attended the event that also featured a new historic photo exhibit in the building lobby.

Originally known as the General Office Building (GOB), LADWP headquarters opened in 1965. It was built as an all-electric building and resembled a power transformer surrounded by a reflecting pool and six large fountains.

The building used experimental features such as integrated heating, ventilation, lighting and air conditioning. The reflecting pool and fountains help dissipate some of the air conditioning heat load.

In 2001, the building was renamed in honor of long-time LA City Council President John Ferraro following his death after decades of public service.