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CityCenter is Sustainability Game Changer The $8.5 billion has yielded six LEED Gold buildings – out of six! A new green benchmark has officially been set. Tuesday, December 22, 2009 Glenn Haussman

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CityCenter may very well change the way the hotel world looks at sustainability. For the first time in the lodging business at this kind of a scale, a company set out to incorporate wide-ranging green efforts in order to create some of the most environmentally friendly structures that have ever been constructed. 

Incredibly, six components of the $8.5 billion CityCenter project on the Las Vegas Strip have achieved LEED Gold certification, an accomplishment of Herculean proportions that is a total game changer for any significant hospitality project on a go-forward basis. After all, if MGM MIRAGE and Infinity World Development Corp, a subsidiary of Dubai World, can do it on such a massive scale, so can projects of more earthly proportions.

The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded its LEED Gold certification to ARIA Resort & Casino, Vdara Hotel & Spa, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, Veer Towers and Crystals retail and entertainment district. The Harmon Hotel is still under construction and has yet to be certified.
 
According to Alan Feldman, Senior Vice President Public Affairs with MGM Mirage, the sheer size of this project will create benefits for other lodging companies seeking to incorporate a commitment to sustainability due to advances developed for the CityCenter megaplex.

“We set out on a mission to create a healthier experience for the guest. Here we have six buildings that achieved LEED Gold certification. This has been the world’s largest project to seek LEED certification and has driven economies of scale for green technology,” said Alan Feldman.

S. Richard Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council (and creators of the LEED certification process), said the advances CityCenter has brought to the way we look at creating new structures cannot be underestimated.  “This is a collection of buildings that will change the way we look at buildings. We honestly believe these buildings will change the world,” he said. “CityCenter was developed with a sense of purpose and quality and will inspire those around the world. They will meet energy, water and materials goals even though it was built in the worst economy [of the modern era].

“We know this team did the right thing. They used the right materials, infused daylight into the design and there is a distinct lack of odor. This is a transformative project,” Fedrizzi continued.

 “CityCenter captures the energy and diversity of Las Vegas in one of the world’s largest green developments,” said Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM MIRAGE.  “Designing CityCenter with sustainable elements and practices reinforces its permanence and creates a healthier environment for our guests and residents, as well as for the 12,000 people who work at CityCenter.”

Due to its size and purchasing power, CityCenter was able to drive green economies of scale in multiple industry segments, paving the way for other entities to build and operate sustainably.  In November, the Forest Stewardship Council-US (FSC-US®) honored CityCenter as the best commercial project of 2009 in the fifth annual Designing & Building with FSC Awards.  CityCenter’s dedication to the use of sustainably harvested FSC-certified wood products is unprecedented in scale and resulted in a significant market transformation, including multiple wood suppliers receiving their FSC chain of custody certification to supply wood to the development.
 
Here are some of the major highlights that were incorporated into the project:

• First energy generation on The Strip through its 8.5 megawatt natural gas co-generation plant, providing efficient electricity on site, reducing emissions and using “waste heat” to provide all domestic hot water
• Water conservation technology and programs save approximately 40% of water within the buildings and 60% in outdoor landscaping, for an overall savings of approximately 50 million gallons annually
• World’s first fleet of stretch limos powered by clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG)
• Development of slot machine bases that serve as displacement ventilation units, efficiently cooling guests from the ground up, rather than wasting energy on empty space by cooling from the ceiling
•  Energy-efficiency initiatives will provide a savings equivalent to powering 8,800 households annually
• Creation of a large-scale recycling operation that enabled the recycling or reuse of more than 260,000 tons of construction waste, more than 80% of the imploded Boardwalk Hotel
• Collaborating with the nation’s foremost sustainability and LEED consultants, CityCenter introduced more than 10,000 construction trade and craftsmen to green building techniques that can be implemented at future developments

• The Boardwalk Hotel was imploded to make way for CityCenter. 80% of the previous structure has been recycled into the building materials or sent elsewhere for reuse.  Crushed blocks and mortar were used in dust abatement on the construction site and as aggregate in concrete and asphalt; recycled whole and broken glass, and bathroom fixtures, were shipped to other countries for reuse after being wrapped in Boardwalk curtains and carpets as recycled packing materials.
• 95% of all construction waste that would have ended up in landfills was recycled.
• Ventilation systems were completely sealed until installed, which protected them from the dust, smoke and harmful particles present on a construction site. No smoking was allowed on the site once the ventilation was sealed, ensuring vastly higher indoor air quality.
• CityCenter used Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) wood, only taken from forests with responsible management practices. Low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints were used, along with enough sustainable certified carpet to cover 140 American football fields.
• Reclaimed water from the neighboring Monte Carlo Resort & Casino was used for dust control in place of precious drinking water, which contributed to savings of 2.4 million gallons of potable water.
• A concrete batch plant allowed concrete to be generated on site, saving gas and energy.
•  Each room was carefully sealed to prevent migration of tobacco smoke, ensuring freshness and comfort for each guest. 
• Design
• An 8.5 megawatt natural gas co-generation plant provides efficient electricity on site (10% of overall CityCenter use), reduces emissions and utilizes the waste heat from the power generation to provide all the domestic hot water necessary at CityCenter, including within its numerous pools.
• Each tower has energy-efficient exterior features to help reduce the heat transfer from the sun onto the buildings, including air-brows, reflective rooftops, specially coated windows and high-performance glass.
• CityCenter worked with manufacturers to invent designer water fixtures that deliver incredibly satisfying, pressurized showers while using a third less water.
• Outdoor landscaping was carefully selected to provide a beautiful array of native desert plant life, which is watered through a highly efficient irrigation system.  The system is equipped with moisture controls to ensure watering is only done when necessary.
• Marquees, signs and slot machines are energy efficient.
• Operations
• CityCenter offers sustainable options for meetings, conventions and events by incorporating environmentally responsible practices and services, including sales kits constructed from recycled paper. ARIA’s banquet server uniforms also are made from recycled polyester.
• CityCenter employees have undergone LEED training as part of orientation, educating them about CityCenter’s green initiatives and how to do their jobs in line with the development’s green focus.
• Many restaurants focus on farm-to-table ingredients, buying produce, meat and dairy direct from responsible local growers.
• Spas are committed to using organic or wild-crafted paraben-free products, the implementation of a recycling program and use of recycled paper for spa materials.
• CityCenter utilizes green cleaning practices within the hotels, using products that minimize concerns to human health and the environment.  Additionally, the areas where chemical use occurs are negatively pressurized with separate outside exhaust and no recirculation of air.
• All of CityCenter’s facilities have integrated recycling programs.
• Guest Experience
• For the highest quality, environmentally sustainable travel, CityCenter commissioned the world’s first fleet of CNG stretch limos.  The 26 silver, 24-foot Lincoln Town Cars are 100% dedicated to utilizing CNG. In addition to abundant U.S. natural gas reserves, CNG is one of the cleanest-burning alternative fuels available.
• Natural gas used by the CNG stretch-limo fleet produces significantly lower amounts of harmful emissions, such as nitrogen oxides (35-60 percent less), particulate matter (90-97 percent less), carcinogenic and toxic pollutants such as carbon monoxide (90-97 percent less), as well as the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (25 percent less).  Source: U.S. Department of Energy
• Guests arriving at CityCenter via carpool or in alternative-fuel vehicles have access to preferred parking spaces; bicycle valet services also are provided.
• The urban community offers numerous amenities within walking distance of the hotels, including restaurants, stores and entertainment. The CityCenter Tram provides convenient transportation between Monte Carlo, Crystals and Bellagio.
• Extensive natural light is utilized through skylights and expansive windows at CityCenter to reduce energy use.
• Many of the artists participating in CityCenter’s public Fine Art Collection used reclaimed material in their works of art. For instance, Maya Lin’s “Silver River,” an 84-foot cast of the Colorado River, is made from 100% reclaimed silver; CityCenter’s sustainability initiatives inspired her first work of art in Las Vegas. Nancy Rubins’ gravity-defying “Big Edge” includes recycled river and ocean vessels, and Isa Genzken’s steel and aluminum rose contains 75% recycled materials.
• CityCenter not only redefines the Las Vegas skyline, but transforms the destination into a global showcase of urban design and sustainability.