BENTLEYFORBES SECURES ENERGY STAR FOR BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA Real Estate Firm Significantly Improves Energy Efficiencies at Iconic Tower; Turns Off Non-Essential Building Top Lights from Midnight to 5:00 am to Further Reduce Energy Consumption Atlanta, Ga. (November 5, 2009) -- BentleyForbes, a national real estate investment company, today announced that it has received Energy Star certification for Bank of America Plaza by reducing energy consumption through improved operations and modernizing infrastructure at the iconic Midtown Atlanta Class A office tower. "BentleyForbes is proud that its ongoing commitment to improving infrastructure and operations at Bank of America Plaza has resulted in receiving Energy Star certification," said Jim Kasim, president and COO of BentleyForbes. "Through these efforts leading to Energy Star certification, BentleyForbes has lowered energy expenses for our tenants at this iconic tower, and at the same time, acted on a commitment to sustainable operations through reduced resource consumption." Energy Star, an international standard for energy efficiency, grades structures on a scale of 1-100 based on their performance and energy usage. The threshold for the Energy Star is a score of 75, and the Bank of America Plaza achieved an impressive score of 89. Another BentleyForbes property, the Prudential Plaza towers in Chicago, recently received a score of 90. BentleyForbes established a program at Bank of America Plaza as part of its portfolio-wide efforts incorporating efficient lighting use, occupancy sensors, and a building automation system that significantly reduced energy consumption and subsequently qualified the property for its Energy Star. As a more visible action of this energy efficiency program, BentleyForbes will also switch off the rooftop spire lighting during the late night hours as part of a broader Green Initiatives effort, an enhanced energy conservation and environmental program. The rooftop will go dark between midnight and 5 a.m. each day, with exceptions made during special events that promote the city or the property. Aviation warning lights will remain illuminated. Bank of America Plaza is a 55-story Class A trophy office tower encompassing 1.25 million square feet, situated at the "Main & Main" corner of North Ave and Peachtree St in Atlanta's Midtown submarket. The trophy tower is considered a skyline defining Atlanta landmark; with a status on par with New York City's Empire State Building, Chicago's Sears Tower and Los Angeles' U.S. Bank Tower for both timeless architecture and extraordinary height. Noted as one of the top ten tallest buildings in the United States, the landmark tower is the tallest skyscraper in the Southeast and the tallest in the United States outside of New York and Chicago. This prestigious office address offers a first class amenity package including, but not limited to, a conference auditorium with stadium seating, revolving art exhibits, courtyard area with park seating and dining area, a 17,000-square-foot executive health club, retail banking center and a 16,000-square-foot Gallery Cafe and Cafeteria. For its tenants and their guests, Bank of America Plaza offers immediate north and south access to the critically important Interstates 75 and 85 providing outstanding accessibility. Bank of America Plaza also offers near immediate access to MARTA at the North Avenue station. |
