Opus Northwest, L.L.C. announces that it is developing the first-ever city hall/civic center in Shoreline, Wash., a project grounded in sustainable development practices and guided by community input. This project is designed to seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED^®) Silver or Gold certification.

 

Designed with direct input from the community and intended as a community gathering place, the four-story, 67,000-square-foot city hall/civic center will house city administrative functions and the City Council chambers. The facility also will include meeting space – available to community and nonprofit groups – a plaza and an outdoor amphitheater. The project is slated for completion in late 2009.

 

“It is a special opportunity to be a part of creating a new front door and living room for a city,” said PJ Santos, senior real estate director for Opus Northwest. “For Shoreline, our team worked passionately with citizens, constituents and community leaders to develop the vision and design. It is ‘Shoreline’s home,’ and we feel it is well on its way towards achieving its goals.”

 

Illustrating the city’s solar power demonstration initiative, solar panels are incorporated into the entire project to educate the community on the energy-saving benefits of solar power. Other sustainable features include a 1,600-square-foot green roof, bioswales and rain gardens where rainwater will be collected and cleaned onsite, native plantings, furniture and other materials made of mostly recycled materials, energy efficient lighting and climate control tools, and low-flow plumbing fixtures.

 

“The city of Shoreline is moving into the forefront in many areas for sustainability,” said Jesus Sanchez, project manager for the city of Shoreline. “We recognize that we’re a little ahead of the curve, and we want to stay there by promoting green construction.”

 

This project is being developed and constructed by Opus Northwest with design partner LMN Architects.

 

Opus Northwest’s success with other cities and public agencies includes the award-winning, mixed-use waterfront development Bremerton Harborside, developed in conjunction with the city of Bremerton, Wash., Harborview Medical Center’s Patricia Bracelin Steel Memorial Building located at 401 Broadway in Seattle, and the Kitsap Credit Union Headquarters Building in Bremerton. Both the Harborview Patricia Bracelin Steel Memorial Building and the Kitsap Credit Union Headquarters Building received the NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association’s award for “Office Development of the Year” in 2004 and 2006 respectively.

 

Opus Northwest, L.L.C. is headquartered in Minneapolis and is one of five regional companies within the Opus Group. The Opus Group, a group of independent operating companies, is a full-service real estate development company with more than 55 years of experience. Opus is recognized as a national leader in office, industrial, retail, multifamily, government and institutional development and has offices across the United States and in Canada. Committed to creating great real estate, Opus implements best practices in sustainable design and construction to maximize building performance and reduce environmental impact. A community steward since its inception, the Opus Group is committed to the long-term development of people and communities by contributing 10 percent of its pre-tax profits to community organizations. For more information, visit www.opuscorp.com.