| 
Sporting goods company New Balance officially opened its new headquarters Thursday morning.
“The opening of the New Balance global headquarters reflects the evolution of the brand and our continued service within the community,” Jim Davis, New Balance Chairman, said in a statement. “Our commitment to the city of Boston is evident by the company’s long-standing and unwavering support in the Allston/Brighton area as our global headquarters location for more than 35 years.”
Boston Landing, a 15-acre mixed-use development at 100 Guest St. in Boston’s Allston/Brighton neighborhood, overlooks the Massachusetts Turnpike, and will include a track center, hotel, apartment complex, offices, a practice facility for the Boston Bruins and MBTA commuter rail station.
Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects of Boston, the building’s design reflects the industrial heritage of New Balance, including its existing factory in Lawrence.
The new building includes a modern atrium with an interactive visitor center that showcases the company’s history, culture, athletes and innovations. Other key components include a green outdoor space that is open to the community called ‘Athletes Park at Boston Landing,’ significant multimedia infrastructure upgrades, feature walls on every floor showcasing athlete images and iconic products and interactive digital screens throughout.
The New Balance Global Headquarters building has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and is currently under review. The New Balance Global Headquarters Shell and Core are expected to receive at least Silver Certification or above from the LEED council. LEED is a widely accepted rating system for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of green homes, buildings and communities.
The New Balance Foundation, the charitable arm of New Balance, commemorated the opening of the new headquarters with a milestone $3 million grant to West End House Boys & Girls Club (WEH), located just blocks away. New Balance Foundation has been a longtime supporter of WEH, part of the National Boys & Girls Clubs of America, previously donating more than $1.6 million to programs at the club. In addition to granting funds, New Balance associates regularly volunteer at WEH.
The company also announced it has changed its legal name to from New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. to New Balance Athletics Inc.
