The Landis Group has been able to do what most real estate development and management firms have only hoped for: lease space and save money in a tough economy.
In 2010, a year in which property managers focused on filling space and retaining tenants, The Landis Group noticed a growing interest for green buildings.
It launched an ambitious plan to transform its 500,000-square-foot, 15-story Class A office property at 400 Atlantic St., in Stamford into an energy efficient office tower.
The result is a $30,000 monthly savings in building expenses for The Landis Group.
And that’s just the beginning.
The winning strategy has been noted by their industry peers. The Landis Group’s prestigious office tower was among a handful of properties recognized by the two Connecticut chapters of the national Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) this year.
The Greater Hartford chapter honored Griffin Land’s single-story first-class office building in Bloomfield.
Thomas Izzo, senior real estate manager at The Landis Group, which owns the Stamford building, said the firm’s goal of improving the property and attaining both Energy Star and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification will help draw and retain businesses to the expansive building.
Izzo said the office tower located across from the Stamford Train Station uses about 35 percent less energy and generates 35 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to similar buildings across the nation.
The Landis Group received the Office Building of the Year (TOBY) in the 500,000 to 1,000,000 square-foot, multi-tenant category.
Landis’ building competes with several Class A office properties in Stamford’s central business district, where lease rates hover around $52 per square foot. There is 32,000 square feet of available space in the building and Izzo is hoping the firm’s efforts to score LEED status will help lease up the space.
Izzo credits smart leasing deals with helping the firm thrive during the economic downturn. The building is home to big-name corporations such as UBS, American Express, The Santander Group and Harman Kardon.
“We’re in a great position because we signed long-term leases with strong, healthy tenants,” said Izzo. “Many of them signed 10- and 15-year deals, so we still have awhile to go before those leases are up for renewal.”
The building was originally conceived and constructed as Champion Paper’s world headquarters and is highlighted by a dramatic lobby entrance and public spaces, expansive 37,000-square-foot highly flexible floor plates, elegant interior staircases and sweeping views of Long Island Sound.
The Landis Group has developed, owned or operated 20 million square feet of Class A real estate across the Northeast since its founding in 1967. It acquired 400 Atlantic St. in 2001.
The Southern Connecticut BOMA chapter also chose Gerard McNicholas as the 2012 Engineer of the Year for his work at 400 Atlantic St.
As project manager for the building, McNicholas is responsible for achieving more than $300,000 in energy-related savings for tenants. The Landis Group hopes to achieve LEED Gold Certification in the near future, according to company officials.
The Southern Connecticut BOMA chapter also honored the following projects:
• Soundview Plaza, Stamford: 100,000- 249,000-square-foot category;
• 901 Main Ave., Norwalk — The Towers: 250,000-499,000-square-foot category;
• Stamford Square: Renovated category;
• 801 Main, Norwalk: Corporate category;
• 707 Summer St., Stamford: Earth award;
• Stamford Executive Park: Industrial office park category;
• Cartus, Danbury: Signature Award for best amenities, and
• Hoffman Architects, Hamden: Corporate honoree of the year.
The Greater Hartford BOMA chapter also presented a handful of awards last week. BOMA recognized Griffin Land with an award for excellence in property management in the less than 100,000 square foot category for its 38,964-square-foot office complex at 340 West Newberry Rd. The building is part of the 600-acre master planned Griffin Center Business Park that the real estate company developed in 2001.
Wes Nicoll, assistant property manager at Griffin Land, said the building’s features include masonry and glass exterior, 277 parking spaces and gas-fired rooftop HVAC units. Tenant improvement work included renovations to the office areas, installation of a back-up generator and the addition of comprehensive wireless services with multiple carriers.
Nicoll said the park’s close proximity to exits 37 and 38 from Interstate 91 draw tenants as do nearby restaurants, hotels and office-service businesses in the area.
Other nearby amenities include Vito’s by the Water restaurant, the SS&C Summer Wind Performing Arts Center, ponds and walking trails.
In 2007, Griffin Land signed a lease with New Horizons Computer Learning Center for 19,000 square feet and another 19,000 square foot lease was signed in 2010 with a large insurance company.
The Greater Hartford chapter also honored Nicoll as its member of the year. Nicoll manages 30-plus buildings comprised of 2.5 million square feet in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Griffin Land is a real estate division of the publicly-traded Griffin Land & Nurseries, Inc. (GRIF). It has developed more than three million square feet of commercial space on land holdings totaling more than 4,000 acres in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.
Developments include the Griffin Center business park in Windsor and Bloomfield, the New England Tradeport industrial park in Windsor and East Granby and the Lehigh Valley Tradeport industrial park in Pennsylvania.
In addition, Griffin Land also develops residential communities including Walden Woods, a 435-unit master-planned community in Windsor.
The Greater Hartford BOMA chapter also honored the following projects:
2 Central Ave. owned by Two Central Place LLC, New Hartford: Historical category;
Edens, regional office in Boston: Corporation of the year;
David Jones, Konover Commercial Corp., West Hartford: Engineer of the year:;
David Berthold, Performance Environmental Services, LLC, New Haven: Allied honoree of the year;
Electric Boat Engineering & Design Facility, owned by General Dynamics, Groton: 500,000-1,000,000-square-foot category.
