W&H's 112 West 34th St. attains Energy Star status from EPA

112 West 34th St., a W&H office building in the Penn Plaza district, has earned the Energy Star designation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to Fred Posniak, senior VP of W&H Properties. The designation signifies that the property meets energy performance standards set by EPA and uses less energy, is less expensive to operate, and causes fewer greenhouse gas emissions than its peers. "This is yet another milestone in W&H's sustainability efforts, and it reflects our commitment to sustainable property operations and development," said Posniak. "One of our organizational goals is to promote energy efficiency, water use reduction, recycling and indoor environmental quality - and this is a very nice federal validation of what we have been doing." Recently, the Empire State Building, which is also part of the W&H portfolio and is undergoing an energy-efficiency audit program, received its own Energy Star designation. This program - which at ESB identified eight evaluated and proven cost-reduction initiatives - is being implemented at each W&H property and will reduce overall energy consumption, leading to lower operating costs for tenants. "Beyond the cost savings, there are additional benefits of our sustainability efforts," said Posniak. "Healthier work environments lead to better worker productivity, fewer employee sick days, higher employee retention and enhanced recruitment. We are proud to help our tenants achieve these results." Located across from the Macy's flagship location, 112 West 34th St. contains 26 stories, and more than 750,000 s/f of modern office and showroom spaces. It offers exceptional direct underground access, scheduled to open in 2012, to the Long Island Rail Road, New Jersey Transit and Amtrak at Penn Station, the Port Authority Terminal, PATH, 15 subway lines and all major bus lines. The property recently completed a top-to-bottom $80 million upgrade program that includes a sleek, new modern and energy-efficient glass curtain wall; a renovated stone and marble lobby, which features a 30-foot undulating ceiling, state-of-the-art security desk with concierge services, and new entryways at both 34th and 33rd Sts.; renovated restrooms and air-conditioned public corridors; upgraded building-wide systems, including state-of-the-art life safety, electrical, security, plumbing, and HVAC with a direct digital control Building Management System (BMS); and several other energy efficiency upgrades. Part of the W&H Properties Pre-War Trophy office portfolio, the building is supervised by Malkin Holdings LLC. W&H Properties is committed to sustainable property operations and development, including energy efficiency, water use reduction, waste and recycling and indoor environmental quality initiatives.