New Conrad N. Hilton Foundation campus coming to Agoura Hills
July 2011, Los Angeles, California--After years of careful planning, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has announced it will move its offices to Agoura Hills, about 30 miles north of its current office location in Los Angeles. Our board of directors decided in favor of building a permanent home for the Foundation to reflect our goal of carrying out our mission into perpetuity.
Hilton Foundation President and CEO, Steven Hilton has a unique vision for the campus: "This new home in Agoura Hills will prepare the Hilton Foundation for the time it will double in size and staff. My father, Barron Hilton, has pledged his intent to follow in his father's, Conrad Hilton's footsteps by contributing 97% of his entire net worth at the time of his passing. This new project will allow us to grow accordingly into the future."
Steven Hilton is leading the process, with his vision of a cutting-edge, environmentally sensitive and energy efficient building co-existing in harmony with the surrounding environment. We are proud that the 70-acre site of our new campus has been designed to meet Platinum Plus LEED certified green standards and we hope to achieve this recognition, one of the top green-building accolades in the world, upon completion.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally-recognized green building certification system. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2000, LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
July 2011 Update
Upon receiving word that migratory bird hatchlings located in an oak tree on the site have taken flight, the California Department of Fish and Game recently approved the go-ahead to begin grading.
A small gathering—including Board members, employees, the architect, general contractor and members of the Hilton family—participated in a traditional Native American ceremony blessing the land. Julie Tumamait, a Chumash Elder, led the proceedings and Sister Joyce Meyer, PVBM, Executive Director of the Conrad N. Hilton Fund for Sisters—one of the Foundation's main grantees, which will also be housed on the campus—joined in blessing the grounds.
Steven Hilton described the ceremony: "Facing the four directions in turn, with a clear and strong voice, Julie acknowledged: the East (to seek new beginnings and birth); the South (for humility and generosity); the West (with gratitude and to acknowledge the voice and wisdom of those who have come before us); and the North (to walk the good road and to call for peace and health). This small gathering of family, friends and colleagues seemed like an appropriate way to symbolically ask the Earth's permission to build on the land and to celebrate the Foundation's work in California and around the world."
Julie Tumamait and Sister Joyce Meyer blessing the land at our new campus
After reciting some prayers, singing a few traditional songs and burning white sage to purify themselves and the site, each person came forward with a personal item and shared with the group its special significance and how it connected to the Hilton Foundation's new office campus. The items were then buried in the four holes representing the N-S-E-W directions.
Now that activity on the site has begun, we currently estimate that the project will be completed by the end of 2012. This space on our website will be devoted to keeping you updated on our progress in Agoura Hills, including its remarkable green features, as we move forward.
December 2011 Update
We have developed a "Good Neighbor" policy for our new campus in Agoura Hills. Read more.
