Manhattan Office Tower Joins LEED League

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The Cushman & Wakefield-managed Heron Tower aimed for LEED Silver certification, but achieved LEED Gold status due to upgraded plumbing and air conditioning fixtures, as well as a brand new building management system.

By Corina Stef

Heron Tower, New York City

Heron Tower, New York City

Takenaka Corp.’s 27-story Heron Tower, a boutique office building in Manhattan’s Plaza District, has earned LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Currently under Cushman & Wakefield’s management, a team comprising Property Manager Joseph McCausland and Chief Engineer Tai Jance oversaw the entire upgrade process. Additionally, the property is the owner’s first development to achieve LEED certification.

Takenaka’s target at Heron Tower was LEED Silver and we are beyond pleased to have exceeded the expectation,” McCausland said in a prepared statement “The building team worked hard to find sustainability savings and areas of improvement, and our vendors and general contractors demonstrated their ability to meet the strict requirements set forth by the USGBC.

Upgrades abound

The management replaced and upgraded both the interior and exterior air conditioning units and plans to add 200 units in 2018 and 2019, resulting in a complete building retrofit. The team also replaced a large number of plumbing fixtures, installed a high-end building management system and installed variable frequency drives on the condenser water pumps and cooling towers, facilitating the process of getting an ENERGY STAR score. The asset has also been nominated for BOMA New York’s Operating Office Building of the Year.

Built in 1987, Heron Tower comprises 154,023 square feet of office space at 70 E. 55th St. The asset features tenant-controlled HVAC, concierge and doorman services, and full-floor options. Neighborhood amenities include restaurants, hotels, retailers and banks.

Similarly, New York City’s 10 Hudson Yards recently earned LEED Platinum status, becoming the first commercial office building in New York to achieve this rating. 

Image courtesy of Yardi Matrix

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