C/.dropcapodeGreen Solutions recently announced that Fisher Brothers has earned LEED certification for 605 Third Avenue and Park Avenue Plaza (above, left to right), each 1 million-square-foot, Class A office buildings in Midtown Manhattan. By our count, these are the 47th and 48th LEED for Existing Buildings certifications awarded in New York City.

605 Third Avenue (between East 39th and 40th Streets) earned LEED-EB: OM Gold, while the 44-story, SOM-designed Park Avenue Plaza, which dates from 1981 and stands between East 52nd and 53rd Streets, obtained a LEED-EB: OM Silver rating. Last year, the buildings also earned Energy Star labels from EPA, scoring 80 and 75, respectively.

Some highlights from each buildings LEED certification efforts include:

Recycling: 100 percent durable goods recycling rate; ongoing consumables recycling rate of 84 percent at 605 Third and 88 percent at Park Avenue Plaza.

Water: New efficient fixtures reduced water and sewer consumption at both properties. 605 Third Avenue achieved a 39-percent reduction over the LEED baseline (saving 3500 kGal of water annually); Park Avenue Plaza a 15-percent reduction, saving 1600 kGal of water annually. Each building implemented a Cooling Tower Chemical Management Program that reduces potable water consumption for cooling tower equipment through effective water management.

Cleaning: The buildings implemented a Building Exterior and Hardscape Management Plan that uses environmentally friendly chemicals and processes for outdoor cleaning was introduced.

Materials: A Sustainable Purchasing Policy that reduces the environmental impacts of materials acquired for use in the operations, maintenance and upgrades of the building, was introduced.

Energy: ASHRAE Level 2 Energy Audits and retro-commissioning studies were performed at both buildings to identify and implement energy efficiency improvements and comply with New York City's Local Law 87.

"Fisher Brothers is committed to sustainable development and operations, and the LEED designation for these two buildings is an official recognition of this commitment. We would like to thank our tenants at both buildings for being instrumental in achieving this important milestone. CodeGreen was a true and invaluable partner in the process. Our staff, led by Park Avenue Plaza Building Manager John Donnelly and Assistant Building Manager Bridget Reel, and 605 Third Avenue Building Manager John Romano and Assistant Building Manager Miriam Mendez, worked tirelessly to make it happen," Kenneth Fisher, Partner, Fisher Brothers, said in a press release.

"The Fisher Brothers team exemplifies how to incorporate sustainability and energy efficiency into a portfolio's day-to-day operations. It is a great accomplishment to successfully take two 1,000,000 sq. ft.-plus commercial office buildings through the LEED for Existing Buildings program simultaneously," said Harry Etra, the CodeGreen senior project manager for both of the projects.

Tenants at Park Avenue Plaza include McKinsey and Blackrock; Univision and the asset manager Neuberger Berman have space at 605 Third Avenue. Congrats to CodeGreen on moving these two large office buildings simultaneously through the LEED certification process.