Thurs. August 22, 2013
WASHINGTON, DC – This has been a banner year for the DowntownDC ecoDistrict, a designation established by the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) for the 138-block area in April 2011. Several companies either based in, or affiliated with, the ecoDistrict have won awards for best sustainable practices or have been acknowledged for their leadership and commitment to green buildings in the National Capital Region.
“The accomplishments are impressive,” said Richard H. Bradley, executive director of the DowntownDC BID. “Organizations have been recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council, the District Department of the Environment and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Better Buildings Challenge for using energy efficient solutions and increasing competitiveness and performance in the private and public sectors. This all bodes well for moving us toward realizing our goal of a sustainable, interconnected, energy-efficient neighborhood and city.”
The Hotel Monaco was just designated as a showcase project in DOE’s Better Buildings Challenge, which the BID accepted in partnership with the District of Columbia to help reduce energy consumption across the ecoDistrict by a minimum of 20% by 2020. The historic hotel building underwent $1.8 million in energy efficiency upgrades. The changes led to annual energy savings of 21 percent and annual cost savings approaching 40 percent.
In addition, the USGBC-NCR announced the recipients of its 2013 Awards of Excellence, which celebrate individuals and firms for their leadership and commitment to green buildings in the National Capital Region. Three ecoDistrict organizations were among the 11 chosen last month in three categories. They are:
- Project of the Year – CoStar Group, Inc., for commercial interior work done on six floors located in its corporate headquarters at 1331 L Street, NW.
- Sustainable Business of the Year – The Tower Companies
- Honorable Mention – 410 E Street Courthouse, for new construction
The 2013 Mayor’s Sustainability Awards rounded out the list of honors. Four of nine businesses either based in, or affiliated with, the ecoDistrict were recognized last month for demonstrating outstanding achievements and leadership in sustainable practices that support the city’s Sustainable DC initiative. They are the CoStar Group; Brainfood, which has two satellite locations in the BID; Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. (WGES), a subsidiary of WGL Holdings; and The Tower Companies.
At the Mayor’s Sustainability Awards, Mayor Vincent C. Gray acknowledged the DowntownDC BID as a partner with the District Department of the Environment in piloting the DC Smarter Business Challenge in the ecoDistrict in 2013. The Challenge helps businesses and buildings identify and implement smart sustainability measures in areas such as waste reduction, energy efficiency, transit access, water management, procurement, and other matters where business sense and sustainability priorities intersect.
In addition to the BID and DDOE, Mayor Gray also recognized the following Smarter Business Challenge participants: Akridge, American Public Health Association, American Society of Landscape Architects, Boston Properties, Brookfield Office Properties, Cassidy Turley, Cushman & Wakefield, D.C. Department of General Services, Executive Travel Associates, Hines, Hotel Monaco, Institute for Market Transformation, Jones Lang LaSalle, OTJ Architects, Property Group Partners, The JBG Companies, Transwestern, Shorenstein, Vornado/Charles E. Smith, and The Tower Companies.
Last year, the DowntownDC BID was one of four ecoDistrict-based businesses to receive the Mayor’s Sustainability Awards. The BID was recognized for its role as a facilitator and catalyst for collaborative sustainability programs and services, which grew substantially after the organization leveraged strong relationships with several community stakeholders to create the DowntownDC ecoDistrict.
By declaring the DowntownDC BID area an ecoDistrict, the BID committed to organize major property owners and others to improve sustainability through operational practices and to support and accelerate city and national sustainability goals.