Press release

Properties of Commerz Real in Chicago save more than 3,000 tonnes of CO2 every year – the equivalent of over 100,000 deciduous trees

Commerz Real has switched two of its office buildings in Chicago to a green electricity supply by using Renewable Energy Certificates. The properties in question are “The National” and “W Fulton”; both buildings are part of the portfolio of the Hausinvest open-ended real estate fund. Compared with the average US electricity mix – which is based on current figures from the United States Environmental Protection Agency – this will lead to an annual saving of more than 3,000 tonnes in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO_2e) emissions. This corresponds to the annual absorption potential of over 100,000 deciduous trees. This target has been achieved by supplementing electricity with Commerz Real receiving support from the energy advisory company Evolution Energy Partners.

“With this significant reduction of operational emissions of our properties in Chicago we have passed the first milestone in our real estate strategy for the US,” says Jens Böhnlein, Global Head of Asset Management at Commerz Real. “We intend to add more  properties in other cities in the US and develop additional short- and medium-term optimisation measures to improve not only the CO2 footprint but also decrease the overall energy consumption of our properties.”

With this significant reduction of operational emissions of our properties in Chicago we have passed the first milestone in our real estate strategy for the US.

Jens Böhnlein, Global Head of Asset Management

The office building “The National” is located at 125 S-Clark Street in the central business district “The Loop”. With its 20 storeys it accommodates some 54,000 square metres of rental space. The property was erected in 1907 as the “Edison Building” and was initially the headquarters of the electricity company “Commonwealth Edison”, which was also founded in 1907 and is now the largest electricity provider in Illinois under the name ComEd. The building was designed by the architect Daniel Burnham, who also planned the world-renowned Flatiron Building in New York and who established his reputation when he was the director of works for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. The building derived its current name over the course of time when it was later occupied by Commercial National Bank, now the Bank of America.

The modern office building “W Fulton”, which was completed in 2017 and has been certified with the LEED Gold sustainability standard, encompasses approx. 27,000 square metres of leasable space and recently been awarded with the Toby Award for the “Outstanding Building of the Year” in Chicago. It is located at 1330 West Fulton Street in Chicago’s Fulton-Randolph Market District and also overs a unique 2 Michelin star rated dining experience at the “Ever” restaurant. This former industrial area, which was once characterised by meat-packing and warehousing operations, has developed into a popular district in the meantime and is home to the head offices of major international companies. The building was designed to plans prepared by the world-famous architecture firm Gensler, which was also responsible for the offices of Facebook in Menlo Park, California.