(SEATTLE) – The Seattle office of Hines, the international real estate firm, announced today that Bank of America Fifth Avenue Plaza has received Gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® rating system for Existing Buildings.
The property also has a current ENERGY STAR® rating of 100, which means that it performs in the top one percent of commercial office buildings nationwide in terms of energy efficiency.
Bank of America Fifth Avenue Plaza is 55 percent more energy efficient and saves $1.33 in energy costs per square foot per year when compared to the national average office building.
This translates to estimated annual greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to removing 1,200 passenger vehicles from the road.
Under Hines’ management the property has earned the ENERGY STAR label eight times since 2000.
Hines undertook numerous sustainability measures, including: installation of low-flow fixtures and whole building water metering; building commissioning; purchase of lamps with low mercury content; implementation of comprehensive recycling and green cleaning programs; installation of workstation lighting controls; and roll out of Hines’ GREEN OFFICE for Tenants program, designed to enhance tenant space.
Hines Senior Property Manager Kathy O’Kelley said, “Achieving LEED Gold certification for this project is a testament to the value of applying solid, proactive operating principles to create efficiencies, cost savings and long term value. Our tenants are savvy and sophisticated and understand the benefits of occupying a green building: lower long-term costs, more employee productivity and a better corporate image.”
“Bank of America is committed to delivering environmentally sustainable real estate and workplace solutions,” said Peter Joers, Bank of America’s Washington president.
“We could not be more proud that our Seattle headquarters has achieved the LEED Gold designation.
Working with Hines and the USGBC to create environmentally sustainable office space is more than simply doing the right thing; it represents a compelling business case, serves as a point of pride for our associates, and enhances the health and vitality of the community and the value of Seattle’s commercial real estate market.”
 Located in downtown Seattle, Bank of America Fifth Avenue Plaza is a 42-story, 1.2 million-square-foot office tower developed in 1981 by Hines, who owns the property.
Bank of America Fifth Avenue Plaza is leased to Bank of America, Regus, Keating, Bucklin & McCormack and Stokes Lawrence, among others.
Hines oversees leasing of the building.
Hines is one of the most sustainable real estate companies in the world.
In 2010 Hines was recognized by the EPA, for the third time, with the ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award; Hines manages 147 labelled buildings, representing approximately 75 million square feet, in the ENERGY STAR program.
Twelve Hines development or redevelopment projects, representing more than six million square feet, have been designated as Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR.
Hines is also a leader in the U.S. Green Building Council’s programs, with 192 projects, representing more than 100 million square feet that have been certified, pre-certified or registered under the various LEED® rating systems.
Hines was a founding member of the German Sustainable Building Council and the Russian Green Building Council, and is active in the Green Building Council Brasil, the Green Building Council España, the Green Building Council Italia, the Indian Green Building Council, the BRE Environmental Assessment Method program in the United Kingdom and the Haute Qualité Environnementale program in France.
Hines is a privately owned real estate firm involved in real estate investment, development and property management worldwide. The firm’s historical and current portfolio of projects that are underway, completed, acquired and managed for third parties includes 1,111 properties representing more than 451 million square feet of office, residential, mixed-use, industrial, hotel, medical and sports facilities, as well as large, master-planned communities and land developments. Hines has offices in more than 100 cities in 17 countries and controls assets valued at approximately $22.2 billion. Visit www.hines.com for more information. To learn more about sustainability at Hines, visit www.hines.com/sustainability.