July 28, 2014 -
Green Buildings
SL Green Realty Corp.'s 180 Maiden Lane received a LEED Certified Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
This recognition stems from the company's recently commenced redevelopment program, featuring several targeted sustainability initiatives, at the 1.1 million s/f office tower located in the Downtown Financial District. Notably, this honor is the fourth SL Green building to have received a LEED Certification.
In addition to the LEED recognition, 180 Maiden Lane also received a U.S. EPA Energy Star Label, bringing the number of SL Green properties with this distinction to 24.
This certification comes on the heels of Newsweek naming SL Green the sixth greenest REIT in its ranking of "America's Greenest Companies 2014."
Newsweek compared the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. by market capitalization. Companies were ranked on corporate sustainability and environmental impact based on reviews by leading sustainability experts from nongovernmental organizations, academia and the accounting community.
"Our commitment to sustainability is multidimensional: tenant experiences are enhanced, portfolio quality is improved, profitability is driven by efficiencies, and our position as both an industry and community leader is demonstrated," said Marc Holliday, chief executive officer of SL Green Realty.
"The receipt of this prestigious environmental designation at 180 Maiden Lane, combined with the national recognition of our efforts from Newsweek, is a testament to the quality of our market leading sustainability initiatives."
"According to the US Green Building Council, LEED certified buildings enhance the environmental quality within office spaces, improving employee productivity and reducing absenteeism," said Jay Black, SL Green director of sustainability. "It is essential that we continue to utilize LEED standards to deliver a best-in-class working environments for our tenants."
SL Green was among the first commercial office landlords in New York City to embrace green initiatives as a core corporate priority and was one of the city's first to execute a sustainable redevelopment at 100 Park Ave., which received a LEED Silver Certification in 2009.
For more about SL Green's sustainable practices, please refer to SL Green's Sustainability report, "What it Means to be Green" which is available for download from the Company's website, www.slgreen.com, in the investor section under the sustainability tab.