Two WRIT Properties First to Achieve LEED® EB in Stafford County, VA

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WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cassidy Turley, a leading commercial real estate services provider in the U.S., and Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (WRIT) (NYSE: WRE), a leading owner and operator of diversified properties in the Washington, DC region, announced today that two buildings owned by WRIT, 925 Corporate Drive and 1000 Corporate Drive, are the first to achieve LEED® for Existing Building certification in Stafford County, VA. The Cassidy Turley Sustainability Services team led the effort.

925 Corporate Drive (Photo: Business Wire)

925 Corporate Drive (Photo: Business Wire)

925 Corporate Drive and 1000 Corporate Drive are each approximately 140,000 square foot office buildings located in Quantico, VA, and are the first two office buildings in Stafford County to achieve LEED for Existing Building Operations and Maintenance Silver certification. Both buildings achieved EPA’s ENERGY STAR Certification in 2012 and are the only office buildings in the county to hold this achievement.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). 925 Corporate Drive and 1000 Corporate Drive are WRIT’s third and fourth LEED EB Certifications. WRIT currently has five LEED EB certified buildings bringing their total square footage of LEED certified space over one million square feet.

“We are pleased to support WRIT’s goal to create a more sustainable and efficient workplace for the tenants at 925 Corporate Drive and 1000 Corporate Drive,” commented Nicole Snarski, Sustainability Project Manager with Cassidy Turley. “An engaged and devoted ownership combined with excited and motivated tenants allowed us to attain this first green building status in Stafford County.”

“The addition of 925 Corporate Drive and 1000 Corporate Drive as LEED Certified buildings reaffirms WRIT’s commitment to sustainable building management. As part of WRIT’s sustainability program, the company plans to continue to pursue LEED certifications within our existing portfolio,” said Brad Cederdahl, Senior Vice President, Property Operations of WRIT.

Cassidy Turley’s Sustainability Services team handled the day-to-day project management required to achieve the certification. The LEED EB certification of the buildings was based on modifications to the operations and maintenance procedures that positively impacted the building itself and the broader community. The focus of the efforts was on improving energy performance through the implementation of various energy conservation strategies, reducing the consumption of potable water, optimizing indoor environmental quality, improving sustainable landscaping and offsetting the buildings’ energy consumption with Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) generated by wind power.

WRIT is the only commercial real estate company to make the EPA top Renewable Energy purchaser list. In addition, WRIT has engaged Cassidy Turley to provide sustainability services and LEED project management for five additional buildings in the DC Metro area.

About U.S. Green Building Council

The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 80 local affiliates, more than 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 155,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students. Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.

About LEED

The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Over 32,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising over 9.6 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 114 countries. By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. USGBC was co-founded by current President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who spent 25 years as a Fortune 500 executive. Under his 15-year leadership, the organization has become the preeminent green building, membership, policy, standards, influential, education and research organization in the nation. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

About Washington Real Estate Investment Trust

WRIT is a self-administered, self-managed, equity real estate investment trust investing in income-producing properties in the greater Washington metro region. WRIT owns a diversified portfolio of 69 properties totaling approximately 8 million square feet of commercial space and 2,540 residential units, and land held for development. These 69 properties consist of 25 office properties, 17 medical office properties, 16 retail centers and 11 multifamily properties. WRIT shares are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: WRE).

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, the potential for federal government budget reductions, changes in general and local economic and real estate market conditions, the timing and pricing of lease transactions, the availability and cost of capital, fluctuations in interest rates, tenants' financial conditions, levels of competition, the effect of government regulation, the impact of newly adopted accounting principles, and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in our filings with the SEC, including our 2012 Form 10-K and first quarter 2013 Form 10-Q. We assume no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events.

About Cassidy Turley

Cassidy Turley is a leading commercial real estate services provider with more than 3,800 professionals in more than 60 offices nationwide. The company represents a wide range of clients—from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, from local non-profits to major institutions. The firm completed transactions valued at $22 billion in 2012, manages approximately 400 million square feet on behalf of institutional, corporate and private clients and supports more than 23,000 domestic corporate services locations. Cassidy Turley serves owners, investors and tenants with a full spectrum of integrated commercial real estate services—including capital markets, tenant representation, corporate services, project leasing, property management, project and development services, and research and consulting. Cassidy Turley enhances its global service delivery outside North America through a partnership with GVA, giving clients access to commercial real estate professionals in 65 international markets. Please visit www.cassidyturley.com for more information about Cassidy Turley.

Cassidy Turley
Maureen Wheeler, 202-463-1138
Maureen.Wheeler@cassidyturley.com
or
WRIT
William T. Camp, 301-984-9400
bcamp@writ.com

Source: Washington Real Estate Investment Trust

Released May 14, 2013