CHICAGO — Urban Innovations has announced that their property at 222 West Hubbard in Chicago, Illinois has received LEED Certification for Core & Shell. This property is one of the first loft office buildings in Chicago to receive this designation. Goby assisted Urban Innovations to achieve LEED CS status.
“We are proud that 222 West Hubbard has received LEED CS certification,” stated Alfrieda Green, Vice President of Property Management for Urban Innovations. “While this is our first property to receive this designation, we work diligently to offer the same sustainable benefits in all of our properties. Urban Innovations is dedicated to doing what is socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible and this certification is an example of our commitment.”
Located in the heart of River North near the Merchandise Mart, 222 West Hubbard is home to the award-winning Roche Bubois showroom. Amenities include: exposed brick walls and timber columns, 11'-13' high clear ceiling heights, tenant-controlled HVAC systems and close proximity to public transportation and parking.
LEED for Core & Shell is typically given to properties where the developer controls the design and construction of the entire core and shell base building. Urban Innovations utilized the LEED for Core & Shell rating system to prepare 222 W. Hubbard for sustainably minded tenants. As part of the criteria in meeting LEED standards, Urban Innovations incorporated strategies that: minimize the impact on ecosystems and water resources, promote better indoor air quality, allow access to daylight and views, and promote better energy performance. The company purchased 203,411 kWh/yr of renewable energy credits, which is enough electricity to power 18 houses annually. During construction, over 98% of the original building was maintained and nearly 93% of construction waste was diverted from the landfill.
Goby is happy to see that with this project, Urban Innovations has helped to further dispel the common misperception that older buildings can’t be sustainable or energy efficient,” said Helee Hillman, Director at Goby. “222 West Hubbard sets a good example for other similar buildings in Chicago - balancing preservation with sustainable design.”
LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
About Urban Innovations
Urban Innovations, Ltd. is a Chicago-based real estate development firm with experience in acquisition, construction, asset management, leasing and management of commercial and residential properties. UI specializes in providing quality commercial space in Chicago and affordable housing throughout the Midwest. The firm’s portfolio of owned and managed properties includes 11 office buildings totaling 750,000 square feet of space in Chicago and 34 affordable housing properties totaling 3,700 units nationwide.
About Goby
Goby is a nationally recognized energy and sustainability consulting firm leading the market in ENERGY STAR benchmarks and LEED. Since 2008, Goby’s highly experienced teams have helped building owners, architects, management companies, tenant representatives, tenants, and contractors integrate green thinking into their decision making processes and policies. Goby’s SeaSuite™ software platform provides commercial real estate compliance data at a glance and helps properties to cost-effectively monitor, optimize, report, and track whole-building sustainability performance for certifications across entire portfolios. Goby is currently managing more than 200 buildings and 50M sq. ft. in the program including:
LEED Recertification & Maintenance
Portfolio-wide GRESB Reporting
ENERGY STAR
BOMA 360
Compliance for local ordinances
Benchmarking, Reporting, & Tracking in the Cloud