CHICAGO—The Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza announces its LEED Gold Certification (Existing Buildings, Operations & Maintenance) by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED-EBOM), making the hotel the first LEED certified hotel in the city of Chicago. LEED certification is the nationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. The 521-room Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza is part of the 2.25-million-square-foot, 25-story 350 West Mart Center which has also been awarded LEED Gold certification. The Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza is operated by Hostmark Hospitality Group. The hotel, originally built...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced the debut of the Aloft brand’s first adaptive re-use project in the heart of downtown Dallas. The Aloft Dallas Downtown opens in a historic railroad freight depot, now transformed into a destination complete with 193 spacious, loft-like rooms, accessible technology and a hip, social atmosphere. Aloft Dallas Downtown occupies an eight-story antique gem built in 1924 as a Santa Fe Railroad freight terminal and commercial dry goods warehouse. Evoking an era when train tracks formed the arteries of the commercial district, the sleek, new hotel delivers the Aloft brand’s...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council stepped up its commitment to improved building performance with the launch of the Building Performance Initiative, designed to put in place a comprehensive data collection effort from all buildings that have achieved LEED certification; implement an appropriate analysis methodology of that data; and provide feedback to building owners so they have better information with which to address any performance gaps that stem from predicted building performance versus actual performance. This initiative complements the announcement earlier this year that will require ongoing performance data from buildings as part of their certification under the...

DALTON, GA.—Shaw Industries Group, Inc. has released its inaugural sustainability report to share the company’s legacy of environmental and corporate social responsibility. The report is reflective of Shaw’s commitment to sustainability leadership through the Shaw Green Edge—a company-wide business platform based on sustainability through innovation. Reflecting Shaw’s long history of investment in sustainable development and initiative-driven progress, the sustainability report outlines the company’s accomplishments and goals. It also reflects the global flooring provider’s vertically integrated organizational footprint, detailing progress according to three pillars of sustainability: • Corporate governance and social responsibility; • Operational and environmental excellence; and • Innovative products and services. The report details...

SHEFFIELD, MASS.—Cypress Bath, Bed & Spa, a leading designer and manufacturer of luxury bathrobes, towels, slippers, and sheets for the global hospitality and spa industries, is encouraging hotels that are participating in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to consider implementing the Green Earth towel into their linen purchase program, due to documented LEED credits that the Green Earth towel can potentially contribute to. The seven LEED credits identified under the Existing Building certification category that are applicable to use of the Green Earth towel include: • Water Efficiency Credit 1: Water...

MILLINOCKET, MAINE—New England Outdoor Center (NEOC) recently opened six new luxury guest houses built to meet the Gold level for LEED, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Three additional units in the Coveside Guest Houses project will be built this fall. Each guest house features three private bedrooms, two private baths, a living room, modern kitchen, patio and sunroom. Located on the shores of Millinocket Lake, the guest houses offer modern, luxury accommodation with easy access to rafting, hiking, paddling, fishing, wildlife viewing and other outdoor adventure activities. “This is...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced former Vice President Al Gore as the opening keynote speaker for USGBC’s annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo being held November 11 to 13 in Phoenix. “Al Gore’s impressive career and bipartisan outreach have helped elevate global climate change to the main street public consciousness,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “The role buildings play in our lives, our health, the economy and the global environment—including being responsible for 39 percent of the carbon emitted in the United States—means the built environment is a tremendous opportunity...

MEMPHIS, TENN.—Home2 Suites by Hilton, the mid-tier extended-stay hotel concept targeting savvy and value-wise extended-stay guests, is utilizing post-consumer recycled content carpeting by InterfaceFLOR, the largest modular carpet tile manufacturer in the world, to outfit its model prototype at the Memphis, Tenn. headquarters. The “Hip and Humble” brand intends to outfit each new location with a variety of eco-friendly design elements and flooring is one spotlighted area. “Home2 Suites is a brand that focuses on marrying style and value while remaining conscious of our environmental impact,” said Bill Duncan, global head, brand management. “InterfaceFLOR shares our commitment and has an...

DALLAS—East Teak Fine Hardwoods, Inc., a leading importer and distributor of the high-quality hardwoods, announced that it has recently selected Scientific Certification Systems, Inc. (SCS) as its new accredited Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification auditor. “In choosing a new auditor, it was important to us that we choose a company that would be attentive to our needs, and SCS was the best fit for East Teak,” says Matt Mladenka, marketing and sales director. “After reviewing several accredited auditing companies, we felt that they could best help us get to where we wanted to be with our FSC-certified wood program.” East Teak,...

NEWBERG, ORE.—The Allison Inn & Spa will open September 26 in Newberg in the heart of Oregon’s wine country. Set on 35 acres, the 85-room (with 20 suites) property was designed by GGLO, Seattle, and is owned by Newberg-based Springbook Properties, Inc. The owners expect to earn a LEED Gold designation from the U.S. Green Building Council for the project. The Allison Inn & Spa is a four-level structure consisting of 154,000 square feet of building space. The east wing is dedicated to guestrooms. The west wing is home to the conference and event space. The inn’s lobby, restaurant...