FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Release 07-22
August 15, 2007

NYC OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HEADQUARTERS AWARDED LEED® SILVER STATUS BY U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL

OEM BUILDING IS FIRST CITY AGENCY HEADQUARTERS – AND ONE OF ONLY NINE BUILDINGS CITYWIDE – TO ACHIEVE CERTIFICATION

The New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) headquarters today achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is the USGBC’s leading edge system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, energy efficient and high performing buildings. OEM’s office is the first City agency headquarters – and one of only nine buildings citywide – to achieve this status. Joining OEM Commissioner Joseph F. Bruno for the announcement were NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner David Burney, Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability Director Rohit Aggarwala and USGBC board member Michael Deane.

OEM’s headquarters, which opened in the Fall of 2006, was designed to achieve LEED certification for site selection, water and energy efficiency, material use, and a variety of other sustainable strategies.

“OEM is engaged in environmental issues year round -- air quality, water and energy conservation, climate issues, debris management – these are areas of strong familiarity to us,” said OEM Commissioner Bruno. “Given these concerns, we felt a responsibility to create a building that was healthier for our staff, healthier for the environment, and could serve as a leading example for other City agencies.”

“The New York Office of Emergency Management LEED Silver rating is an important first for a New York municipal building,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president and CEO, U.S. Green Building Council.  “Green buildings play an important role in Mayor Bloomberg’s ambitious plaNYC, and this building will be a great way for people to see first-hand the role green buildings can play in making cities healthier places to live and work.”

Sustainable design was one part of an overall approach that was respectful of its physical surroundings, the environment and the employees that would occupy the building. The building’s sustainable features include:

• Reduced Heat Island Effect
  • OEM's roof is surfaced with light colored material including pavers made from recycled content. These materials help to reflect sunlight rather than absorb it.
• Reused Materials
  • The columns and floors of this building are reused from the superstructure of a former Red Cross headquarters.
  • 20% of the materials in the building were manufactured locally.
  • During construction, 50% of construction waste was diverted from landfills.
• Low-Emitting Materials
  • The materials in the building contain low volatile organic compounds including the paint, furniture, adhesives, and carpet. OEM has also installed high efficiency air filters and CO monitors to track the quantity of fresh air being provided.
• Water Efficiency
  • The building uses 33% less water than a conventional building by employing low flow fixtures and waterless urinals and eliminating the need for landscape irrigation by using native species of plants.
• Indoor Environmental Quality
  • The new facility controls indoor chemical & pollutant sources by providing dedicated exhaust for janitors’ closets and printer areas.
  • The windows in this building have efficient thermal properties. They reduce solar heat gain which lowers the overall amount of energy that must be used to cool the building to a comfortable temperature.

The headquarters building has already won two awards for adaptive re-use including New York Construction Magazine’s Best of 2006 and the Society of Regional Architects Design Excellence.

The $50 million facility serves as the central point of coordination for major emergencies and special events, as well as the day-to-day workspace for OEM planning and response personnel. Staffed 24-hours a day, the 65,000-square-foot building contains a 130-agency Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Watch Command, general office space and training and conference rooms. The building represents the first permanent home for OEM since its previous headquarters and the City's EOC were destroyed on September 11th. Since that time, interim space was used at Pier 92 on Manhattan's west side and 11 Water Street in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn.

CONTACT:    Andrew Troisi 718-422-4888