WASHINGTON /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - The joint venture of The PNC Financial Services Group Inc. and Vornado/Charles E. Smith recently unveiled its plan for Washington, D.C.'s first office building designed to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification. LEED Platinum reflects the highest level of environmentally sustainable building design recognized by the Council.
800 17th St./PNC Place, a new 365,000-square-foot office building, will be built at the corner of 17th & H Streets, NW, just two blocks from the White House. PNC's regional headquarters and offices will occupy a portion of the building, with approximately 300,000 square feet available for lease. A PNC branch bank will be located on the retail level.
"800 17th St./PNC Place brings to the Washington market a building that combines the highest levels of sustainable design with one of the most strategic and prestigious locations in the city," says Mitchell Schear, president of Vornado/Charles E. Smith, the developer, leasing and management company for the new building.
"This high-performance Gensler-design in the heart of Washington demonstrates PNC's commitment to the Washington region and our ongoing leadership in sustainable design and development," notes PNC Bank Regional president Michael Harreld.
PNC currently has more LEED-certified buildings than any other company in the world. In London on June 16, the Financial Times and the Urban Land Institute presented PNC with an international award for its green building efforts. The Sustainable Cities Award recognizes PNC's leadership in environmental sustainability.
"800 17th St./PNC Place, the first LEED Platinum office development in the District of Columbia, sets a new bar for environmentally responsible, quality development in our city," says Mayor Adrian Fenty. The Mayor has recently led new legislation requiring LEED certification for D.C. Government buildings.
Through the collaboration of Gensler architects and green building consultant Paladino & Co., the building design envisions unique, environmentally focused attributes. These include the Eco Lobby, featuring a three-story climate wall that radiantly cools the lobby with flowing water. The climate wall parallels a glass walking bridge over the open portion of the concourse below. 800 17th St./PNC Place will be capped with a green roof to increase energy efficiency and filter storm water.
Completion of the new 12-story building is expected in the second quarter of 2010.
The Vornado/Charles E. Smith team has developed many of Washington's landmark buildings including 2099 Pennsylvania Ave., The Warner, 1999k, The Investment Building, The Bowen Building, and 2101 L St. Vornado/Charles E. Smith is a division of Vornado Realty Trust, a fully integrated equity Real Estate Investment Trust.
The PNC Financial Services Group Inc. is one of the nation's largest diversified financial services organizations providing retail and business banking; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management; asset management; and global fund services.
Source: The PNC Financial Services Group Inc.
For additional information, contact Patrick McMahon or Sonia McCormick, both of The PNC Financial Services Group Inc., [email protected]; or Mara Olguin of Vornado-Charles E. Smith, [email protected].
