Platinum LEED® Certification for Hines Property

A 35-year old property in downtown Seattle has earned Platinum certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Existing Buildings (EB) rating system. The building is owned by Hines, an international real estate firm and sponsor to non-traded REITs.

Located at 800 Fifth Avenue, the 42-story office tower was built in 1981 and is the 12th property developed or managed by Hines to receive a Platinum LEED designation. 800 Fifth Avenue is co-owned by Hines and J.P. Morgan and has received an Energy Star® label every year since 2005.

In order to raise the building’s rating from Gold to Platinum, the in-house property and engineering management team worked with Sebasta Landscape to add new green features, such as irrigation controls and native plantings. 

Hines Senior Managing Director and Global Sustainability Officer, Gary Holtzer commented, “Continuous improvement by the on-site Hines staff was at the core of moving this building from LEED Gold to Platinum.”

Hines Vice President of Property Management, Kathy O’Kelley, continued, “Achieving LEED Platinum is a testament to the value of applying solid, proactive operating principles to create efficiencies, cost savings, and long-term value. With this achievement, the local project team demonstrates to our owners, tenants, prospective tenants and the community that this property is being managed to the highest standard of excellence.”

Hines has a history of environmentally friendly undertakings, being a leader in the U.S. Green Building Council’s programs. In addition, Hines was a founding member of the German Sustainable Building Council and the Russian Green Building Council. The company is also active in the Green Building Council Brasil, the Green Building Council España, the Green Building Council Italia, the Indian Green Building Council, the BRE Environmental Assessment Method program in the United Kingdom, and the Haute Qualité Environnementale program in France.