Citigroup opens ‘green’ office tower

One year after Citigroup topped off its second office building in Long Island City the banking giant officially opened the 15-story tower, now home to more than 1,500 employees, and announced that the building had received the company’s first green designation.
“Almost 20 years ago, Citicorp took a chance in Queens and built our borough’s tallest structure. It stood for many years as a beacon of hope for the economic resurgence of this wonderful part of our borough,” said Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. “Well, the beacon as been heeded. The Long Island City skyline is being transformed. With Queens West, the planned transformation of Queens Plaza, a redesigned Jackson Avenue and the United Nations Credit Union headquarters as its neighbor, this building is another sign of confidence in our borough’s future.”
At the topping off ceremony in October 2006, Citigroup officials said that they hoped to earn silver status from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Council for the building’s environmentally conscious construction. However, the building went beyond expectations - earning a Gold LEED. Projects are awarded designations ranging from Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum, the highest, depending on the number of credits they achieve.
To qualify for the designation, buildings must be constructed as designed and perform as expected, conserve energy and water, reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, have less greenhouse gas emissions, be comfortable and healthy for occupants, have lower operating costs and increased asset value, and demonstrate an owner’s commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility, according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The five main categories that projects are evaluated by are sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor air quality.
“By taking this step, Citi demonstrates its leadership in sustainability and as an early adaptor, Citi is making it easier for others to follow,” said Russell Unger, Executive Director of the USGBC New York Chapter, at the ceremony on Monday, October 22. “This is a major accomplishment for Citi and helps momentum for green building in New York.”
According to Citigroup, 90 percent of the structural steel used to construct the new building, located at Two Courthouse Square, contains recycled materials. In addition, many of the workstations, carpet and furniture was made from recycled materials and through eco-friendly manufacturing processes, the banking company said.
During construction, nearly 90 percent of waste created was recycled and diverted from landfills, and the company avoided releasing 768 tons of carbon monoxide into the atmosphere by using high-performance window glazing, energy-efficient lighting and air-conditioning systems, lighting sensors, and sensors to detect when the office building was occupied. In addition, Citigroup purchased wind power - 38,500 MWH worth - to provide all of the building’s energy for the next five years.
Over the following three weeks, Citigroup, in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence and the Verizon Wireless Hopeline program, will also be collecting wireless phones and handheld electronic devices to be reprogrammed during Citi’s Global Community Day on Saturday, November 17. The electronics will then be donated to local agencies that work with domestic violence victims.
“At Citi we are banking on green. For us, it is an important part of being a responsible corporate citizen,” said Pam Flaherty, Director of Corporate Citizenship, President and CEO of the Citigroup Foundation. “Our approach is to embed sustainable business practices throughout our operations all over the world.”
During the ceremony, the banking giant also announced plans to donate eight evergreen trees to the City’s Parks Department and nearly 10,000 energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs to Queensbridge Houses South in Long Island City.