Butler Square – LEED-EB O&M Certified
Address: 100 North Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Photo by Tom Wallace.
Overview:
Throughout its history Butler Square has been known as the “Crown Jewel” of the Minneapolis Warehouse District for its stately presence, architectural beauty, and the inspirational role it has played in revitalization of its richly diverse urban neighborhood. This privately owned, 500,000 gsf masonry building was constructed in 1906 to serve as a warehouse for the Butler Brothers’ mail order retail business. In 1971, it was added to the National Historic Register, and, beginning in 1973, it was converted to its current use as a multi-tenant, commercial office and retail facility.
In May 2009, Butler Square became the first century-old, multi-tenant commercial building in the nation to achieve LEED – EB O&M certification. Butler Properties LLC’s longstanding commitment to efficient, high-quality building operations directly contributed to Butler Square earning the EPA’s Energy Star with a score of 85/100 and simultaneously attaining the energy optimization credits required by the LEED-EB O&M certification system. Examples of improvements made in the past several years that enhanced Butler Square’s energy performance include:
- Replacing the west atrium skylight with a more energy-efficient product (Kalwall).
- Replacing the roof over the middle section of the building.
- Tuckpointing the exterior and caulking all windows.
- Replacing, resizing and properly configuring boilers and chillers to better link energy use to specific demand.
Architectural features that have served Butler Square’s occupants well for more than a century continue to do so today. Its thick masonry walls require no additional insulation and the skin-to-volume ratio of its deep floor plates make it more efficient to heat and cool than elongated or oddly shaped buildings.
Butler Square’s historic role as the Gateway to the Minneapolis Warehouse District has expanded as monumental changes continue to occur in Minneapolis. The LEED-certified Butler Square stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Target Center, the enclosed arena with a new green roof, to greet fans as they walk or drive along 6th Street to the new Twins Stadium. Together, these three “green buildings” anchor the west end of the Energy Innovation Corridor.
Benefits:
Together, Butler Square’s owner, GreenTeam, and tenants have addressed energy and resource efficiency in ways that extend beyond ongoing improvement of the building’s systems and envelope to include:
- Promoting and Facilitating Alternative Modes of Commuting: Butler Square promotes mass transit use and hosts an award-winning TMO Commuter Challenge Fair every year for tenants. It is connected via skyway to city-owned parking ramps that offer greatly reduced parking rates for carpoolers. To encourage bicycle commuting, Butler Square LLC made arrangements with an adjacent health club so cyclists can shower there without having to purchase a membership. According to a survey conducted by the property manager in 2008, approximately 30% (or 270) of Butler Square’s tenants use alternative modes of transportation.
- Conserving Water: Butler Square’s plumbing fixture replacement program is expected to reduce the consumption of water by more than 750,000 gallons each year – more than enough to fill an Olympic size pool.
- Improving Lighting While Reducing CO2 Emissions and Environmental Contaminants: The U.S. Green Building Council awarded Butler Square an “exemplary performance” innovation credit for substantially reducing the levels of mercury in lighting sources. Ongoing lighting improvements have reduced CO2 emissions by more than 68,000 pounds in the past year alone. This is equivalent to taking six cars off the road for a year.
- Instituting Green Cleaning Procedures/Using Green Cleaning Equipment and Products: Butler Square earned eight out of a possible nine credits in this LEED category because of its commendable green cleaning and purchasing practices.
Partners:
The following firms constitute Butler Square’s GreenTeam:
