LG honored for redesigned Englewood Cliffs headquarters

After battling environmental groups for years over plans for a new headquarters on Sylvan Avenue, LG Electronics USA received an award Friday from a non-profit that promotes sustainable building.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS -- After battling environmental groups for years over plans for a new headquarters on Sylvan Avenue, LG Electronics USA received an award Friday from a non-profit that promotes sustainable building.

The U.S. Green Building Council New Jersey Chapter named LG its top honoree for 2015 for the new design of the company's planned North American headquarters.

The council credited LG for designing a building that would meet LEED Platinum standards. LEED, an acronym for Leaership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a rating for how "green" building are, and Platinum is the highest level.

LG officials expect the $300 million project to allow the company increase local employment to 1,000, double that of its current headquarters farther north on Sylvan Avenue.

William Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics USA, said at the USGBC awards gala Friday at Montclair State University that he hoped construction could begin in 2016.

MORE: LG, headquarters opponents overcame cost, distrust to reach agreement

"We are proud of our progress toward excellence in sustainability," he said. "And we are very proud of our new headquarters project in Englewood Cliffs."

Conservation groups initially opposed the headquarters after the borough zoning board allowed LG to exceed a 35-foot height limit in town, saying the building would mar views of the Palisades Cliffs. But Scenic Hudson, the New Jersey Federation of Women's Clubs, the Natural Resources Defense Council, New Jersey Conservation Foundation and New York-New Jersey Trail Conference came to support LG after the company agreed to lower the planned building height from 143 feet to less than 70 feet.

Aside from the promised environmentally friendly features of the new building, LG also plans to plant 700 trees on its 27-acre property and reduce runoff into the Palisades. The building will house a learning center to educate local students on green building.

LG must seek local approval again for the redesigned building. John Taylor, a spokesman for the company, said LG expect to present its plans in the next few months.