Omni Dallas Hotel Receives LEED Gold Certification

DALLAS, May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Omni Dallas Hotel, which opened its doors on 11/11/11, received LEED Gold New Construction (NC) certification, making it the first and only LEED Gold hotel in Texas and the largest LEED Gold hotel in the U.S. outside of Las Vegas. This designation was made possible by the development and execution of a highly disciplined plan that included the use of recycled and regionally-sourced materials, reduced construction pollution and water conservation initiatives. Upon opening, the hotel has also instituted practices to operate at LEED Gold standards.

"The Omni Dallas Hotel is living up to its expectations in every way," said Mayor Michael S. Rawlings. "We promised to create a hotel that added to downtown development and brought in more convention business all in a sustainable manner, and we are proud that with great teamwork, we have surpassed our goal for LEED certification."

Developer Jack Matthews of Matthews Southwest said, "Clearly we had a mandate from the City of Dallas to achieve LEED Silver status. It is a tribute to our team's professionalism and hard work that we were able to exceed expectations."

Examples of sustainability efforts during the design and construction project include:

• The construction team employed an aggressive recycling program for the removal of construction waste. 
• The interior design for the hotel's restaurant, Texas Spice, included reclaimed timber and brick. Certified wood makes up 50 percent of the wood-based material to encourage environmentally responsible forest management.
• The hotel's design reduces the amount of storm water run-off with a 25,000-gallon cistern to capture water as a means of irrigation in lieu of city water. The northwest corner of the property features a rain garden designed to help with run-off. The water softener system is tied to the cooling tower and reduces water and chemical usage.
• Roof materials feature solar reflective indexes to help with heat island effects.
• Systems for lighting and thermal control include guest rooms equipped with a key switching system. When a guest puts the room key into a slot by the door, it activates lighting and HVAC systems. When removed, the HVAC system sets back to a preset temperature and the lights automatically shut off.  
• The project was overseen by numerous LEED accredited professionals, ranging from the design-builders staff to various engineers and consultants. Balfour/Russell/Pegasus, the construction company responsible for the project, hired a LEED consultant to ensure the project met the requirements established by the U.S. Green Building Council.

"The remarkable efforts put forth by every team member who has a hand in keeping the project focused on sustainability led to this significant milestone," said Ed Netzhammer, managing director of the Omni Dallas Hotel. "We are thrilled with this acknowledgement and look forward to continuing to be a sustainability leader in the hospitality segment."

The LEED Gold certification is a major milestone for the acclaimed project. Earlier this month, the hotel also received a 2012 Design Award from Lodging Hospitality.

Other Omni Dallas Hotel accolades include:

• 2010 Best Public/Private Partnership/Dallas Business Journal
• 2010 Vision Award American Subcontractors Association/North Texas
• 2011 Outstanding Project Team Over $50M and Over $100M - American Subcontractors Association/ North Texas
• 2012 Texas Spice designated as a Two-Star Certified Green Restaurant¨ - Green Restaurant Association (GRA)
• 2012 Pillars Award Project of the Year - Regional Hispanic Contractors Association
• 2012 Distinguished Building Awards - TEXO Construction Association (Design-Build over $30M General Contractor -- Balfour Beatty Construction)
• 2012 Distinguished Building Awards - TEXO Construction Association (Electrical over $10M Subcontractor -- Walker Engineering)
• 2012 Distinguished Building Awards - TEXO Construction Association (Mechanical over $10M Subcontractor -- The Brandt Companies, LLC)
• 2012 Distinguished Building Awards - TEXO Construction Association (Exteriors all contract amounts -- KPost Company)
• 2012 Vision Award - TEXO Construction Association

The hotel project team includes:

• Owner: City of Dallas
• Developer: Matthews Southwest
• Operator: Omni Hotels & Resorts
• General Contractor: Balfour/Russell/Pegasus
• Design Architect: 5G Studio Collaborative
• Architect of Record: BOKA Powell
• Interior Design Firm: waldrop+nichols studio

For additional information, visit omnihotels.com or call 1-800-The-Omni. Travelers and media can also follow Omni at Facebook.com/OmniHotels, Twitter.com/OmniHotels and Twitter.com/OmniHotelsPR.

About the U.S. Green Building Council

The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.  With a community comprising 80 local affiliates, more than 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 167,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.

Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.

LEED

The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Over 100,000 projects are currently participating in the LEED rating systems, comprising over 8 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 114 countries. 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. USGBC was co-founded by current President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who spent 25 years as a Fortune 500 executive. Under his 15-year leadership, the organization has become the preeminent green building, membership, policy, standards, influential, education and research organization in the nation. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

About the Omni Dallas Hotel

The Omni Dallas Hotel offers a luxurious, warm and sophisticated design, which reflects the essence of Dallas, with a contemporary, reflective glass exterior and local textures, art and other materials inside. Guests and locals alike now have access to five culinary selections, including the celebrated Bob's Steak & Chop House, The Owners Box and a farm-to-table restaurant, Texas Spice, for a casual dining experience as well as retail space, lounges, a signature Mokara Spa, urban pool deck and more. In-room technology includes flat screen TVs as well as TV monitors embedded within the bathroom mirrors.

Connected via a skybridge to the Dallas Convention Center, the Omni Dallas Hotel incorporates more than 110,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. Included among its 39 meeting rooms are the Dallas and Trinity Ballrooms, encompassing 32,000 and 15,000 square feet respectively. The hotel will comfortably accommodate groups of more than 3,300 attendees at any given time.

For more information, visit omnidallashotel.com or call 214-744-6664.

SOURCE Omni Dallas Hotel