José Marques, APR
Media Relations Manager
513.629.1448
Mailing Address:
Western & Southern Financial Group
Media Relations
Mail Station 90
400 Broadway Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
José Marques
Media Relations Manager (513) 629-1448
LEED Silver Pursued for Great American Tower at Queen City Square
CINCINNATI — June 22, 2009 — Eagle Realty Group announced today that it continues to pursue LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for the Great American Tower at Queen City Square, its new office building under construction downtown.
This certification is widely recognized as evidence that a building followed environmentally friendly design and practices. Eagle Realty Group is attempting to achieve the Silver level designation of LEED-Core and Shell (LEED-CS®), which is a higher level than the basic LEED certification. The building has been registered for LEED certification with the U.S. Green Building Council and previously was targeting the basic Certified level of certification. By working closely with its design and construction team over the past year, Eagle Realty Group has increased the quantity of environmentally responsible attributes of the project, thereby making it feasible to achieve the higher level of certification.
The Core and Shell rating evaluates the entire project except for the interior spaces of tenants. Actual certification is obtained only after the project is completed in 2011 and the U.S. Green Building Council conducts its independent document review to verify that the sustainable goals were achieved. Upon its completion, Great American Tower at Queen City Square will become the greenest office building in downtown Cincinnati, as well as the tallest and largest.
Among its many sustainable elements are the use of numerous energy and water conservation techniques, incorporation of materials with recycled content, and extensive recycling of demolition debris and construction waste. Further, the office tower will feature high ceilings and floor-to ceiling windows to allow maximum daylight, and the use of specially coated insulated glass to avoid unwanted heat transfer between inside and outside the building. Each floor will have its own dedicated air-handling unit to provide proper heating and cooling, monitors will automatically introduce more fresh air when necessary, and MERV 13 filters will improve the quality of the air. Additionally, the project’s central location and inclusion of alternative transportation provisions, such as racks and showers for bicycle riders, combine to create a higher quality indoor and outdoor environment for its occupants.
Mario San Marco, president of Eagle Realty Group, said, "The design and construction team did a terrific job finding additional cost-effective ways to improve the sustainability of the building and we are pleased that it appears we will be able to secure the Silver level of certification. That’s important to us and important to the building’s tenants."
The LEED Green Building Rating System was established by the U.S. Green Building Council in an effort to guide the design and construction of buildings in ways that reduce the impact on the environment. It is a voluntary, third-party rating system that recognizes high-performance, sustainable buildings that meet criteria in the six environmental categories of 1) sustainable sites, 2) water efficiency, 3) energy and atmosphere, 4) materials and resources, 5) indoor environmental quality, and 6) innovation and design process. To award a rating, the council conducts an independent document review after completion to verify that the project’s sustainable goals were achieved.
About the Great American Tower at Queen City Square
This latest phase of the master-planned Queen City Square complex will be a landmark building known as the Great American Tower at Queen City Square. Named after its lead tenant, Great American Insurance Company, the building will rise 41-stories above Third Street, and contain 800,000 square foot of office space over a 1,700-car parking garage. The spectacular design and dramatic tiara, at 660 feet above street level, will significantly enhance the city skyline. Registered for LEED certification – and targeting the Silver level – the building will be the most environmentally sensitive building in downtown Cincinnati.
Designed by Gyo Obata, founding partner of Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK), one of the world’s largest architectural firms, the building features an inviting entry plaza and grand rotunda at Fourth and Sycamore, and a spacious promenade extending to the office tower lobby located on the southerly portion of the site. The siting of the office tower, and its predominantly glass exterior, are intended to maximize the views from the office floors, which are unobstructed in all directions.
Interior amenities include floor-to-ceiling windows and 9’6” ceilings, which provide abundant natural light in office areas. State-of-the art heating and cooling systems save energy and promote a healthy environment with generous amounts of fresh outdoor air. Column-free floors of up to 26,000 square feet allow for efficient space planning and flexibility for future office reconfigurations. Advanced technological infrastructure offers users the opportunity to take advantage of the latest in communications and highspeed data transmission.
Queen City Square is a development of Eagle Realty Group (a member of Western & Southern Financial Group), and is co-sponsored by its funding partners, the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority and the City of Cincinnati.
About Eagle Realty Group
Eagle Realty Group offers a comprehensive range of services covering three core real estate areas. Investment Management offers asset management and investment advisory services. The company’s expertise in real estate development and management are documented by an array of successful ventures ranging from hotels to shopping centers to low-income housing to senior housing and office
buildings. In addition, Eagle Realty Group’s Multi-Family Property Management Division serves apartment communities and Eagle’s Commercial Property Management Division provides property management services. The organization oversees investment portfolios consisting of over 32 million square feet of all types of real estate located across the United States and valued in excess of $2.7 billion.
About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is the nation’s leading coalition of corporations, builders, universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations working together to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. Since its founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 5,400 member companies and organizations; a 50-person professional staff; a broad portfolio of LEED products and services; the industry’s popular Greenbuild
International Conference and Expo; and a nationwide network of local chapters, affiliates and organizing groups.
About W&S Financial Group Distributors, Inc.
W&S Financial Group Distributors, Inc., partners with financial institutions across the nation to market
annuities issued by Western & Southern member companies and to provide consultative risk
management financial solutions for individuals preparing for or in retirement.
About Western & Southern Financial Group
Western & Southern Financial Group (Western & Southern) is a Cincinnati-based diversified family of financial services companies with assets owned, managed and under our care in excess of $42 billion as of Dec. 31, 2008. A Fortune 500 company, Western & Southern has received A.M. Best’s highest rating of A++ Superior for financial strength, Standard & Poor’s AA+ rating (one of the nine highest-rated life insurance groups in the world), Fitch’s AA+ rating and Aa3 (Stable) from Moody’s. With a heritage dating to 1888, the group’s affiliates include The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company; Western-Southern Life Assurance Company; Capital Analysts Incorporated;¹ ² Columbus Life Insurance Company; Eagle Realty Group, LLC; Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.;¹ Fort Washington Savings Company;³ IFS Financial Services, Inc.; Integrity Life Insurance Company; The Lafayette Life Insurance Company; National Integrity Life Insurance Company; Touchstone Advisors, Inc.;¹ and Touchstone Securities, Inc.² For more information, visit www.westernsouthern.com. Western & Southern is the title sponsor of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters and Women’s Open tennis tournaments.
¹ A registered investment advisor.
² A registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC.
³ Member FDIC.
Ratings refer to the financial strength of the insurance company and not to the safety, stability or performance of any investment product.
one of the eight highest-rated life insurance groups
in the world based on Standard & Poor's AA+ Very Strong rating.
Rating current as of November 30, 2010.