MINNEAPOLIS (May 3, 2010) – United Properties has announced that Centennial Lakes Office Park has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) prestigious Energy Star, the national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. This signifies that the building performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency
Located in Edina, Minn., the office park includes five buildings and a Macaroni Grill totaling 835,000 sq. ft. and is surrounded by a city park, multi-family housing and retail. The project, developed between 1996 and 2001, is a joint venture owned by United Properties and State Farm.
“Centennial Lakes Office Park is pleased with EPA’s Energy Star in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts,” said Sonya Huber, general manager — NorthMarq, the leasing and management company. “Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs.”
Commercial buildings that earn the Energy Star use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Centennial Lakes Office Park improved its energy performance by strategically managing energy within the park and by making cost-effective improvements to its buildings.
To earn the Energy Star, Centennial Lakes Office Park took the following actions:
- Conducted an energy audit with Xcel Energy and RealWinWin
- Re-lamped the common areas of the property, moving away from a 32W to a 28W and 25W lamp
- Upgraded energy management system and made several programming changes to enhance the performance of the property
- Implemented tenant and employee education and awareness campaign to help to reduce the park’s energy usage
EPA’s Energy Star energy performance scale helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a 75 or higher on EPA’s 1-100 scale is eligible for the Energy Star.
“Improving the energy efficiency of our nation’s buildings is critical to protecting our environment,” said Jean Lupinacci, chief of the Energy Star Commercial and Industrial Branch. “From the boiler room to the board room, organizations are leading the way by making their buildings more efficient and earning EPA’s Energy Star.”
About NorthMarq
NorthMarq offers commercial real estate services, including transaction and advisory services, real estate management, and debt and equity placements, to investors and occupiers of commercial real estate from its headquarters in Minneapolis. The company manages more than 60 million sq. ft. of retail, industrial and office assets in 22 markets around the country, handles more than 7,500 transactions annually and provides real estate debt and equity financing, and commercial loan servicing in 32
offices coast-to-coast, with an average of $10 billion in annual production volume and services a loan portfolio of more than $39 billion. For more information, visit www.northmarq.com.
About Energy Star
Energy Star was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products, new homes, and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned Energy Star prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. For more information, visit www.epa.gov.
Media Contacts
Martha Nevanen
Vice President, Marketing Communications
952-893-7539
martha.nevanen@marquettere.com
Jessie Folkens
Sr. Communications Consultant
952-837-8516
jessie.folkens@marquettere.com
About United Properties
United Properties has been creating deep roots in the commercial real estate industry for more than 100 years. The company imagines new possibilities in real estate to help enrich communities and create lasting legacies. United Properties provides market expertise for ground-up development, redevelopment and acquisitions of value-add and stable investments. The company invests in and develops office, industrial, retail, mixed-use and senior housing properties. United Properties is owned by the Pohlad Companies and is headquartered in Minneapolis, with offices in Denver and Austin, Texas.
