MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Marquette Plaza, originally designed by famed architect Gunnar Birkerts and long revered as one of Minneapolis’s architectural landmarks, is re-establishing its iconic status today as it becomes the first downtown Minneapolis building to earn LEED Platinum certification. This status, granted by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is the most prestigious and challenging level of LEED certification to achieve and illustrates the building’s transformation and leadership in the greening of downtown.
Also, Marquette Plaza makes its mark as the first large multi-tenant building in Minnesota to receive Platinum certification, due to a rigorous series of efforts and implementations set forth by property manager Base Management and 22 building tenants, which include: Xcel Energy, Federal Government agencies, Foley & Mansfield, Meet Minneapolis and CenturyLink. Platinum certification is more challenging to receive when multiple tenants are involved in the process.
Marquette Plaza noted and visible sustainable features:
- Applied for an Energy Star rating of 99, the building’s $1 million annual energy costs have been 100 percent offset through wind renewable energy sources.
- Marquette Plaza now uses 694,000 fewer gallons of water annually. If all downtown Minneapolis buildings followed the same measures, more than 90,000,000 gallons of water each year would be conserved.
- Through its efforts, the building has reduced landfill waste by 89 tons yearly.
- The most visible aspect of sustainability is the expansive 1.5 acre green roof, covering 46 percent of the total building footprint. All granite benches and other granite features were re-used from the existing granite that had covered the space previously as an impervious hardscape plaza.
- Building management integrated a green cleaning program, as well as provides compostable and locally sourced materials and food for building events (down to local organic eggs for the annual holiday breakfast and a zero waste tenant picnic every summer).
- 64 percent of Marquette Plaza employees carpool, bus, bike or walk to work.
“We could not have earned this prestigious rating without our tenants’ commitment to sustainability,” Gene Rerat, President, Base Management said. “We had an overwhelming tenant participation in the certification efforts. For our tenants, this process has brought new awareness to the sustainability options available and the efforts toward making more sustainable choices have increased.”
Marquette Plaza tenants’ dedication to greening their workspace has already begun to pay off. Though the upfront investment was significant, this newfound efficiency is lowering energy and utility costs – meaning lower expenses for tenants in the future. Other benefits tenants enjoy include lower energy and operating costs, - meaning lower expense for tenants in the future. Other benefits tenant enjoy include greater airflow, improved indoor air quality and better lighting, thanks to the commitment instilled by Base Management at Marquette Plaza.
"We are among the nation's leaders in energy efficiency, providing products and programs to residential and commercial customers that help cut energy consumption and therefore bills," said David Franke, director of Project Tennant Services for Xcel Energy, which leases office space in Marquette Plaza. "It only makes sense that we partner with building managers and share our vision for greater efficiency. As part of the effort to achieve LEED Platinum certification, building managers worked closely with Xcel Energy, taking advantage of its conservation improvement programs (CIP) to design and build the energy-efficient showpiece that the plaza has become."
Base Management partnered with Sustology, a Marquette Plaza tenant and sustainability consultant, to create and implement the environmentally sound solutions for the building, which led to the LEED Platinum Certification. Sustology is a Minneapolis-based sustainable design and renewable energy developer that has worked on numerous noteworthy projects such as the Target Center green roof and the University of Minnesota-Morris’ sustainability master plan.
When Marquette Plaza was originally constructed in 1972 to headquarter the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, it featured a groundbreaking support system comprised of 16 catenary cables strung between two towers. For decades, it was marveled for the resulting catenary arch. Today, building managers, architects and tenants alike will pay new heed to the Twin Cities landmark as it paves the way for new standards in sustainable office building operations.
About LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED green
building certification system is the foremost program for the design,
construction, operation and maintenance of green buildings. More than
40,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and
institutional LEED rating systems, comprising more than 7.9 billion
square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 117 countries. In
addition, more than 10,000 homes have been certified under the LEED for
Homes rating system, with nearly 45,000 more homes registered.
By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.
About Marquette Plaza
Marquette Plaza, an architectural
landmark defined by its unique “caternary” arch design, is located in
the downtown Central Business District of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This
Class A 522,656 square foot office building is a monumental presence and
boasts credit tenancy, superior quality design, state of the art
infrastructure, 36,000 square foot open floor plans, column free design,
skyway connection and a 1.5 acre landscaped public park on the west side
of the building (which is the largest Green Space in the CBD).
Constructed in 1972, the building went under a multi-year renovation and
addition which was completed in 2002. Marquette Plaza in May, 2011
achieved the rare accomplishment of being certified LEED Platinum by the
U. S. Green Building Council. For more information tour www.MarquettePlaza.com.
About Base Management
Base Management, incorporated in 2001,
is a commercial real estate property and asset management firm
headquartered in the Marquette Plaza building in downtown Minneapolis.
Base Management is dedicated to providing quality services, establishing
connective relationships with clients, delivering the highest level of
facility management and financial tools; therefore resulting in higher
financial success to our clients. Operating under the principal of
“Management by Design”, allows us to tailor our services to meet our
clients’ needs.
Editor’s Note: Interviews with Base Management executives are available by contacting Madeline Riggs at 612-455-1755 or mriggs@psbpr.com