Washington REIT Appoints LEED AP Weinschenk Head of Retail
Washington REIT appointed Paul S. Weinschenk, LEED AP, as managing director and vice president – head of retail division. He will oversee the growth and operations of WRIT’s 16-center, 2.4 million-sq.-ft. retail portfolio located in the Washington, D.C. area. Weinschenk brings nearly 20 years of local retail market experience, including the last 16 at The Peterson Companies, a renowned Washington, D.C. developer and owner of class-A retail properties, where he was vice president – retail. While at The Peterson Companies, Weinschenk was involved in all aspects of retail real estate, including extensive asset management and development activities. He is an active member of the ICSC, currently serving as state director for Maryland, Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Shorenstein’s Palisades Office Park, Atlanta Is LEED Gold
Shorenstein Properties LLC’s Palisades Office Park, a class-A complex in Atlanta’s Central Perimeter office market, has received LEED Gold EBOM certification. The nearly 640,000-sq.-ft. complex is comprised of four buildings, each with an Energy Star rating of 84, within a 23-acre park that features a 4-acre lake. Its amenities include a conference facility, fitness center, two-hole putting green and a café.
Palisades Office Park’s certification brings the total number of LEED Silver- or higher-certified Shorenstein-owned or -managed properties to 23. Nineteen properties owned by Shorenstein are currently LEED certified, 15 of them at the Gold level, and four additional properties are currently in the process of pursuing LEED certification.
New Noble Energy Two Center in Houston to Be LEED Silver
Independent energy company Noble Energy Center has signed a lease for a new building in Houston to be developed by Trammell Crow Co. and Principal Real Estate Investors, in a joint venture. The new building, to be called Noble energy Center Two, will be a LEED Silver-certified, 456,000-sq.-ft. build-to-suit office building in Houston’s Northwest submarket. The building will break ground in mid-2013 and be completed by mid-2015.
West End Summit, Nashville, to Feature LEED Silver Towers
West End Summit, a major office construction project in midtown Nashville, will feature two LEED Silver-certified towers. The 900,000-sq.-ft. office complex with a 2,800-space parking garage, is a $265 million private investment. Turner Construction Company will act as general contractor for developer Alex S. Palmer & Co. Preconstruction activities for the project have already begun; completion is lated for spring 2015.
IKEA Becomes Florida’s Largest Non-Utility Solar Owner, Reaches 80 Percent Solar Presence in U.S.
IKEA plugged into the solar energy system at its Sunrise, Fla. store on Jan. 30. The Sunrise store’s program, utilizing a 101,774-sq.-ft. PV array, will produce 1.5 million kWh of clean energy annually. The Sunrise project, combined with solar projects at IKEA’s stores in Orlando and Tampa, makes the company Florida’s largest non-utility solar owner. This installation also represents the 35th completed solar project for IKEA in the U.S., with four more locations underway, making the eventual U.S. solar presence of IKEA nearly 90 percent of its U.S. locations with a total generation of 38 MW.
ROC Transforms Santa Monica
Real Office Centers (ROC) has helped usher in a new period of hyper-growth companies into Los Angeles enterprise with its newly opened Santa Monica facility. Located in Santa Monica’s Silicon Beach, ROC’s 44,260-sq.-ft. property has more than 200 socially conscious, eco-friendly, shared-workspace environments housing as many as 150 small companies. ROC, last occupied by Google, is also home to high-profile events including movie screenings, tech conferences and rooftop galas.
Jersey City Luxury Multifamily Madox Opens
Madox, an eco-friendly luxury apartment complex in Jersey City’s historic Paulus Hook neighborhood, opened in December with a high level of interest. The seven-story building features 131 luxury residences, including one- and two-bedroom apartments and one- and two-bedroom homes. Initially priced from $1,800 per month, the residences range from 480 to 1,312 sq. ft. and offer top-quality finishes. Amenities include a keyless entry system, 24-hour doorman, state-of-the-art gym, lobby lounge, library, business center, communal technology table, valet garage parking, bicycle storage and residents-only lounge. Social interaction is fostered with a landscaped courtyard. Green elements include a PV solar array and vegetation on the roof, EV charging stations and water consumption reduction systems to reduce water usage by 45 percent and energy consumption by 14 percent. The building is also under contract for at least two years to provide 35 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. Madox is on schedule to earn the first LEED certification for a residential building in Jersey City.
EPA Brownfields Funding Makes Way for New All Care Health Center in Iowa
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on January 31 for the All Care Health Center, a new $5.6 million community health clinic in Cuncil Bluffs, Iowa. The facility stands on a former railroad and residential area that was cleared for redevelopment in 2006 after the City of Council Bluffs used funds from a $4000,000 Environmental Protection Agency brownfields grant.
Located at 900 S. Sixth Street in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the construction site was assessed for potential hazardous substance and petroleum contamination. EPA Brownfields funding helped remove environmental barriers on the property, allowing construction to proceed. The new health center will have an 18,015-sq.-ft. facility to provide medical and dental exam rooms, a pharmacy, surface parking and space for additional behavioral health providers. The center expects to serve nearly 8,000 patients.
Albert’s Organics Arranges Build-to-Suit Lease in New Jersey
Jackson Cross Partners LLC arranged a long-term build-to-suit lease on a new facility for Albert’s Organics at 1155 Commerce Blvd. in Logan Township, N.J. Albert’s Organics is the leading distributor of quality organically grown fresh produce and meats, dairy, soy products, juices and beverages. The new 70,000-sq.-ft. facility, set to open in spring 2013, will almost double Albert’s Organics’ national capacity and provide for future expansion.