Santa Monica Place targets LEED certification

Santa Monica, Calif. Macerich announced Thursday that is Santa Monica Place shopping center is targeting LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

The new open-air, three-level shopping and dining destination now under construction just two blocks from the beach in Santa Monica, Calif., is an adaptive reuse of the enclosed, suburban-style mall it replaces.

The project is scheduled to open on Aug. 6, 2010.

“Santa Monica is one of the most environmentally forward-thinking communities anywhere, and our focus on sustainability aligns us with the interests of our shoppers, which is important to us,” said Bob Aptaker, VP development for Macerich, the parent company of Santa Monica Place. “We believe the most sustainable building is one that already exists, and our decision to reuse and redesign the existing structure was our first significant step among many.”

Examples of green-building practices at the new Santa Monica Place include recycling an existing structure on a previously developed site and sending the majority of construction debris to a recycling facility; turning a climatized indoor mall into an outdoor center which includes the use of more natural light and natural ventilation of mechanical systems; converting the center to open-air, adding a solar roof to tenant areas, and reducing some other common area loads (primarily lighting), which means the center may save enough energy to power 90 homes; improving connectivity to the downtown streetscape on all sides to ensure pedestrian access; selecting water-efficient landscaping and employing various available technologies to reduce water usage throughout the center; utilizing low-emitting paints, adhesives, carpets, coating and other materials; and ensuring that a portion of new construction materials will consist of recycled content materials.

“Our approach to redeveloping Santa Monica Place is part of our portfolio-wide efforts to heighten sustainability at all of our properties and corporate offices,” said Jeff Bedell, VP sustainability for Macerich. “Not only does this make good financial sense because of the operating savings, but our company sees this as the right thing to do.”

Project anchors are Bloomingdale’s, which selected Santa Monica Place as the site for its first SoHo concept store outside Manhattan, and a new Nordstrom. Other retailers signed on for the project include Nike, CB2, Burberry, Kitson, Michael Kors, Ted Baker, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Coach, Ed Hardy, True Religion, Joe’s Jeans, Swarovski, Ilori, Love Culture, Angl, Bernini, Michael Brandon, R.O.C. Republic of Couture, Arthur and Shuz, as well as Artevo, a technology-driven art gallery.