By Joel Scanlon
The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded LEED Gold certification to Santa Monica Place, which is an open-air shopping destination.
The place is recognized as one of the most innovative redevelopments in the county and continues to set a standard in terms of entertainment, shopping and dining.
Art Coppola, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Macerich, stated that the LEED certification was the result of redesign and reuse of the existing structure with a three-level, open-air property and with plenty of sunshine and fresh air. The environmental values of the company and shoppers can be judged from the ongoing operations of Santa Monica Place.
A climatized indoor mall was turned into an outdoor center by Macerich by recycling the existing structure, thus offsetting or minimizing 3,060,024 million kWhs energy. Over 90% of construction was diverted from landfills during the construction phase. Moreover, 14 Points of Presence are being used by Macerich to incorporate operational disciplines like metering/submetering, energy management, UMS, access control, CCTV, voice over IP, wi-fi, concierge, digital signage, valet and parking management services into a single infrastructure.
The center also integrates a green roof element, water-efficient landscaping and various other sustainable features.
Jeff Bedell, Vice President of Sustainability of Macerich, stated that the Gold-level award for Santa Monica Place is a great honor and marks a significant milestone for the trust, which is dedicated to reduce its carbon footprint across the portfolio.
LEED Gold certification for the Santa Monica Place falls the under Core and Shell category.
Source: http://www.macerich.com