One McKinney Plaza Earns Gaedeke's First LEED-EB

November 19, 2010

Citybizlist Dallas

DALLAS - Gaedeke Group LLC's One McKinney Plaza, which is undergoing more than $5 million of renovations, has earned the portfolio's first LEED for Existing Buildings' certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Gaedeke invested approximately one year into gathering required materials and completing the performance period for the certification process for the 256,543-sf One McKinney Plaza at 3232 McKinney Ave. in Uptown. Gaedeke
currently has seven Energy Star-rated buildings, and plans to apply what it's learned from this experience to other buildings in its portfolio.

The LEED certification team included Blaine Morris, Gaedeke's director of engineering, and Sandra Plunk, property manager of the 15-story One McKinney Plaza.

Environmental upgrades included a water efficiency credit for plumbing changes resulting in overall usage savings of more than 30%. The owner also replaced 42 commodes with a high-efficiency design that decreases the gallons per flush by 40%, retrofitted urinals and installed hands-free sinks. The owner also scored high points for requiring green janitorial products; expanding its recycling program to include electronic waste and batteries; and installing
energy-efficient light bulbs.

In Washington, D.C., the performance period of the LEED process is under way at Gaedeke's 1310 G Street NW, a 195,711-sf, 12-story office building just
minutes from Capitol Hill.

The LEED-EB: Operations & Maintenance rating system focuses on a building's physical systems and the way it's occupied and operated by its managers. The mission is to help building owners and managers solve building problems and improve life cycle performance.