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Aug 30
2009
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real estate developer Opus Northwest, L.L.C. together with architectural
partner LMN Architects, today announced completion of the first phase of
the City of Shoreline's $33 million, 67,000-square-foot City Hall and
Civic Center, and the turnover of the city hall building.
The second phase of this government campus will be completed at the end
of the year with the opening of the garage and public plaza, designed as
the central gathering place for the community. The municipal real estate
development project is expected to receive the U.S. Green Building
Council's LEED Silver certification.
At the outset of this public-private partnership, Opus Northwest and the
City of Shoreline agreed upon a strong, collaborative, management team
approach.
"The combination of design-build, build-to-suit and lease-to-own methods
ensured a focus on the guiding principles we developed with the
community, while limiting our exposure to potential cost overruns for
our new City Hall," said Bob Olander, city manager for Shoreline, which
incorporated in 1995. "I am pleased to say it more than meets the city's
smart-design intent, and demonstrates our commitment to customer
service, transparency and accessibility for the entire community."
To strengthen Shoreline's sense of identity, designers created a council
chamber with doors that open onto a plaza and outdoor amphitheater, a
water feature and the stunning, four-story dogwood mural "Lime Light" by
local artist Linda Beaumont.
"It is a special opportunity to be a part of creating a new front door
and living room for a city. With Shoreline, our team worked passionately
with citizens, constituents and community leaders to develop the vision
and design that culminated in the creation of a municipal real estate
project with a great sense of place and a clear statement about
sustainability," said PJ Santos, senior real estate director for Opus
Northwest.
The commitment to green building resulted in a design that's as
educational as it is sustainable, and features a path called "The
Shoreline Sustainability Stroll."
"The idea for the Shoreline Sustainability Stroll came from our shared
belief that changing paradigms and educating the community - especially
young people - on the possibilities of green development is as important
as achieving a LEED accreditation," said Jesus Sanchez, Shoreline
project manager. "This educational pathway is something to be proud of,
and we hope others will follow this creative example in their projects.
It's just the kind of change we all need to implement to reduce our
environmental footprint."
Source: Washington RealEstate
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