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There are a lot of reasons to dislike banks these days, but Citigroup’s commitment to green building practices isn’t one of them. Last week, Citi earned LEED Platinum certification for its New York City flagship location in Union Square. In the process, it became the first bank to earn 200 LEED certifications.
Citi’s 9700-square-foot Union Square branch is located at the corner of 14th Street and Broadway. It opened in Decembver of 2010 and features six interactive sales walls, free online access and Wi-Fi for customers; 24/7 access to customer service experts via video-assist; Energy Star-rated equipment; and energy-optimized lighting controls. Almost one quarter of the space’s building materials were manufactured from recycled content.
“With so many physical locations around the world, our Citi Realty Services team can make a huge impact on the environment,” said Don Callahan, chief administrative officer and chief technology and operations officer, in a press release.
Headquartered in New York City, the 200-year-old Citigroup made a $50 billion pledge in 2007 to address global climate change. To date, the bank has invested more than $36.4 billion into the initiative and is aiming to certify 15 percent of its global real estate portfolio under the LEED program by 2015. Citi also expects to reach 263 LEED-certified projects by the end of 2012.
