LAS VEGAS—Affirming its commitment to bring a new level of environmental consciousness to the Las Vegas Strip, CityCenter has earned its fifth and sixth LEED Gold ratings from the U.S. Green Building Council with the certification of Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas and Veer Towers. The accomplishment completes the certification process for all CityCenter components opening this December, and marks the highest LEED achievement by any hotel, retail district or residential development in Las Vegas. The 18-million-square-foot metropolis is one of the world’s largest sustainable communities.
“From its inception to design, development and construction, we had one single goal in mind for CityCenter: create a destination that is not only built in an environmentally sustainable manner, but also operates every day with an equal commitment to conserving natural resources,” said Bobby Baldwin, president and CEO, CityCenter. “As we approach CityCenter’s opening next month, now with six LEED Gold recognitions, we’re very close to sharing with the world a remarkable demonstration that a community can be both beautiful and sustainable.”
Due to its size and purchasing power, CityCenter is driving green economies of scale in multiple industry segments, paving the way for other entities to build and operate sustainably. The Forest Stewardship Council-US (FSC-US) recently honored CityCenter as the best commercial project of 2009 in the fifth annual Designing & Building with FSC Awards. CityCenter’s dedication to the use of sustainably harvested FSC-certified wood products resulted in a significant market transformation, including multiple wood suppliers receiving their FSC chain of custody certification to supply wood to the development. CityCenter has moved beyond existing green practices to empower industry-wide innovations. Sustainable highlights include:
• Energy generation through its 8.5-megawatt natural-gas co-generation plant, providing efficient electricity on site, reducing emissions and using “waste heat” to provide domestic hot water.
• World’s first fleet of stretch limos powered by clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG).
• Water conservation technology and programs that will save between 30 percent and 43 percent of water within the buildings and 60 percent in outdoor landscaping, for an overall savings of approximately 50 million gallons annually.
• Energy-efficiency initiatives providing a savings equivalent to powering 8,800 households annually.
• Development of slot machine bases that serve as floor air-conditioning units, efficiently cooling guests from the ground up, rather than wasting energy on empty space by cooling from the ceiling.
• Creation of a large-scale recycling operation that enabled the recycling or reuse of more than 260,000 tons of construction waste—more than 80 percent of the imploded Boardwalk Hotel.
• Collaborating with the nation’s foremost sustainability and LEED consultants, CityCenter has introduced more than 10,000 construction trade and craftsmen to green building techniques that can be implemented at future developments.
Climate Challenged Designers, Builders
“From its intense focus on water conservation to the multiple strategies for energy efficiency, the CityCenter team has delivered several exceptional properties that qualify for the LEED Gold rating,” said S. Richard Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “Extreme climates challenge the most creative of project teams, and the CityCenter team has risen to the occasion and then some. We congratulate them on their significant achievement.”
Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas is the first hotel in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to receive a LEED rating. Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas will feature 392 rooms and suites and 225 residences. Opening December 4, 2009, the 47-story, non-gaming hotel and residences bring the legendary service of the renowned hotel group to Las Vegas for the first time.
Veer Towers, CityCenter’s only purely residential development, inclines at five-degree angles—a feature celebrated by the development’s name—the towers seem to dance with each other. Designed by famed architect Helmut Jahn, each tower will house approximately 335 modern condominium residences. Residential occupancies are slated to begin mid-January 2010.
“The LEED Gold certifications of CityCenter’s residential buildings are a brilliant example of sustainable development,” said Tony Dennis, executive vice president, CityCenter Residential Division. “In satisfying the growing demand for smart and environmentally responsible living, CityCenter’s green commitment is a meaningful point of pride for our homeowners and an element of value that is as important as our quality and service.”
CityCenter’s LEED certification effort was led by MGM MIRAGE’s Energy and Environmental Services Division along with a recognized group of sustainability consultants including CTG Energetics, Green Building Services, Viridian Energy & Environmental, Fore Solutions, and Simon & Associates. CityCenter’s previous LEED Gold awards include ARIA Resort’s hotel tower, ARIA’s convention center and theater, Vdara Hotel & Spa, and Crystals.
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