On Earth Day Securian Announces LEED Certification for Existing Building
ST. PAUL, Minn., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Securian Financial Group chose Earth Day - the birthday of the American environmental movement - to announce that its nine-year-old 401 Building at Sixth and Robert in downtown St. Paul has earned the prestigious LEED(R) EB certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
The LEED certification is based on exacting scrutiny of engineering standards, energy usage, and environmentally-friendly maintenance and recycling programs. LEED sets a high bar and is especially difficult for existing buildings to obtain.
"Only five structures in Minnesota have received the LEED EB certification and the 401 Building is the only one in St. Paul," said Sheri Brezinka, executive director, Mississippi Headwaters Chapter of the US Green Building Council, which awards LEED certification. "The green building movement offers an opportunity to respond to global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy, and threats to human health. Innovative projects such as the 401 Building are a fundamental driving force in the green building movement."
No retrofits were needed for the Securian building to earn the LEED EB certification. The 401 Building was designed 12 years ago by Architectural Alliance and built by McGough Construction. Julio Fesser, Securian's Director of Facilities Services, says the structure should continue to meet high standards well into the future.
"Our goal with the design and construction of the 401 Building was to combine cost-effective operation with aesthetics and workplace efficiencies," said Fesser. "This company has been located within a few blocks of its current location since it was founded in 1880 and we plan to stay here. That's another reason why we put our best efforts into the 401 - we want to be a good neighbor in downtown St. Paul."
At an award ceremony this morning, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said the 401 Building is one example of the community's many environmentally sustainable buildings, systems, and practices that led The Green Guide and Popular Science to put St. Paul on its list of Top Green Cities in the US.
"Saint Paul has become a national leader in sustainable, urban living by 'acting locally' to help reverse the negative effects of global warming," said Coleman. "We are achieving our goals through strategies that proactively protect our city's air, water, and urban landscape. Across the city, property owners such as Securian are stepping up and contributing to our effort to make St. Paul the Most Livable City in America."
St. Paul's District Energy provides the power for the 401 and many of the other buildings in downtown St. Paul. Securian's Fesser says access to District Energy means the company's downtown campus does not need boilers or chillers, and makes a huge contribution to the facility's environmental sustainability.
In addition to achieving LEED-EB certification, the 401 Building also has earned the Environmental Protection's Energy Star rating two years in a row. Both times, the 401 was rated 96, meaning it ranks among the top four percent most energy efficient buildings in the nation. Securian's 400 Building, built in 1982, also received the Energy Star in 2008 and 2009, with ratings of 75 and 76, respectively.
The 401 Building encloses 612,000 gross square feet and houses Securian's five business units. Many of the company's corporate services and several tenants are located in 411,000-gross-square-feet 400 Building.
Find more information about the 401 Building as well as several photos at Media Room on Securian's corporate site.
Securian Financial Group helps provide financial security for individuals and businesses in the form of insurance, retirement products and services, and investments. Affiliates include Minnesota Life Insurance Co., Advantus Capital Management, and Allied Solutions, LLC. Securian has more than $770 billion of life insurance in force, nearly $24 billion in assets under management as of March 30, 2009, and a nationwide work force of 3,500 employees. Securian serves more than 9,000,000 individuals in the U.S.
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