Address: 333 South Seventh Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Overview:

Accenture Tower at Metropolitan Centre was awarded the LEED® Silver certification for an Existing Building (EB): Operations & Maintenance (O&M) from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Accenture Tower, which is owned by the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) and managed by CB Richard Ellis, is the first multi-tenant building in Minneapolis to earn the LEED EB O&M designation. Working with CalSTRS’ investment adviser CBRE Investors and with Envision Realty Services to transform the buildings using their shared knowledge of sustainable practices and applying CBRE’s Standards of Sustainability, CBRE has introduced numerous eco-friendly measures in the building that contributed to the certification. “While it is challenging to make changes when you have to consider and address the needs of multiple tenants, reaching our sustainability goals was an important issue,” said Bob Traeger, of CBRE’s Asset Services Division and General Manager at Accenture Tower. “Support from the tenants, as well as the building’s owner, and the cooperation of the building’s vendors played an important role in the transformation. And many of the things we have done are low cost or even no cost improvements that make a big difference.”

Benefits:

Operating Savings:

• The building operators offer mixed materials recycling in which paper, bottles and cans are dropped in the same bins to make it easier and more convenient for people to recycle.
• The building operators been able to recycle a notable 70 percent of the waste created when remodeling by working with a demolition recycler.
• The building’s green cleaning program is a model for others in Minneapolis because of the chemicals and procedures used.
• The building includes include water-saving fixtures such as sprinklers with rain sensors.

 Energy Savings:

• The building has plentiful bike racks to encourage alternate transportation.
• The building features improved air quality systems.

Community Economic Benefits:

• Old food from the building’s restaurant is recycled and given to a pig farmer.

Partners:

• CBRE Investors
• Envision Realty Services