Prime Group Realty Trust's 330 North Wabash Attains U.S. Green Building Council's LEED-EB O&M Silver Certification

CHICAGO, May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Prime Group Realty Trust (PGRT) announced today that 330 North Wabash, a 52-story mixed-use tower, has earned the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED Silver Certification for Existing Buildings (EB) Operations & Maintenance (O&M). Completed in 1973 and comprising 1.5 million square feet, the iconic and architecturally-renowned Mies van der Rohe-designed tower is the largest building in Chicago to receive LEED-EB O&M Silver certification.

LEED is USGBC's leading rating system for designing and constructing the world's greenest, most energy efficient and high-performing buildings. To achieve the LEED-EB O&M designation, buildings are evaluated on energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, indoor environmental quality, stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. According to USGBC, buildings account for nearly 72 percent of electricity consumption and 30 percent of waste output nationally.

"Our holistic approach to environmental sustainability has enabled us to successfully integrate green practices into all facets of our business – from tenant relations to operations and beyond," said Susan Hammer, general manager of 330 North Wabash. "We're proud to be among an elite group of buildings in downtown Chicago to attain LEED-EB O&M status and will continuously strive to make this architectural icon as green as possible."

As part of PGRT's ongoing commitment to greening 330 North Wabash, building management implemented a comprehensive sustainability program focused on the following core elements:

• A recycling program that enables 330 North Wabash to recycle 96 percent of all office paper waste, 98 percent of newspaper waste and 95 percent of all cardboard waste, totaling more than 300 pounds of recycled material per person per year.
• Initiating a sustainable purchasing policy that focuses exclusively on utilizing low-volatility organic cleaning supplies and an assortment of recycled products to help improve the indoor air quality and reduce 330 North Wabash's carbon footprint.
• Deploying automation technology and energy efficient lighting throughout the building, as well as a state-of-the-art HVAC system on redeveloped floors to curtail energy consumption and improve overall efficiency.
• Promoting the utilization of public transportation with daily shuttle service to and from Chicago's commuter rail stations. The shuttle, which operates during rush hour, is used by several hundred of 330 North Wabash's building tenants each day, thereby reducing auto emissions and traffic congestion in the Central Business District.

To ensure the success of its sustainability initiatives, PGRT placed a priority emphasis on engaging and empowering 330 North Wabash's tenants to green their respective operations, as well. To date, three tenants, Perkins + Will, DeStefano Partners and Thornton Tomasetti, have received LEED for commercial interiors (CI) designation for their office space. Additionally, 100 percent of the building's tenants are actively participating in 330 North Wabash's recycling program.

"330 North Wabash's LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership," said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair of USGBC. "The urgency of USGBC's mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and 330 North Wabash serves as a prime example of just how much we can accomplish."

To date, 330 North Wabash has also received several other accolades for its sustainability efforts, including the prestigious U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR certification. It was also the first Chicago building to receive the BOMA 360 Performance Program designation.

PGRT's ongoing greening efforts accompany a recently completed $24 million base building redevelopment that included updating restrooms with new fixtures and elaborate tiling, renovation of the elevator cabs with modern finishes and deployment of a state-of-the-art master security, fire and life safety command center. In addition, PGRT has a $50 million loan commitment from GE Capital to redevelop the tower rise floors which will become available for move-in in 2011.

About 330 North Wabash

330 North Wabash is a 52-story mixed-use tower, landmarked by the City of Chicago, and is the last and largest office structure designed by renowned architect Mies van der Rohe. The building won The 2007/2008 Office Building of the Year (TOBY) award for the North Central Region in the category of over 1 million square feet, competing against buildings in more than five other states for the prestigious award, sponsored by the Building Owners and Managers Association. A luxury hotel owner is developing the lowest 12 floors of the building with a 335 room high-end hotel. The hotel will feature 17,000 square feet of state-of-the-art facilities for meetings and social events, a ballroom with spectacular river views, a chef-driven restaurant, fitness center, indoor pool, and a destination spa.

About Prime Group Realty Trust

Prime Group Realty Trust is a fully-integrated, self-administered, and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) which owns, manages, leases, develops, and redevelops office and industrial real estate, primarily in metropolitan Chicago. The Company currently owns 7 office properties containing an aggregate of 3.2 million net rentable square feet and a joint venture interest in one office property comprised of approximately 101,000 net rentable square feet. The Company leases and manages approximately 3.2 million square feet comprising all of its wholly-owned properties.

SOURCE Prime Group Realty Trust