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Office Tower in Vegas Seeks LEED Silver

by Tony Illia

Molasky Corporate Center, a $96-million, 284,000-sq.-ft. office tower in downtown Las Vegas, aims to be the area's first LEED-certified commercial office building. The Southern Nevada Water Authority will be a major tenant in the 17-story building.

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Things just got a little greener in downtown Las Vegas, thanks to a new office project by the Molasky Group of Cos. The longtime Las Vegas developer is building the area's first Class-A green office tower at Grand Central and City parkways.

Designed by Howard F. Thompson Architects Inc., Irvine, Calif., the 17-story, 852,000-sq.-ft. high-rise is seeking a silver LEED certification.

"It really makes a lot of sense to create an energy-saving building, while providing a cleaner, healthier environment for all occupants," says Bob Bingham, a senior associate with Howard F. Thompson Architects.

Assembly Bill 3, which was signed into law by the Nevada Legislature last year, now gives developers another reason to pursue LEED. The new state law gives up to a 50 percent, decade-long property tax break on private commercial projects that get a LEED rating. Although the total savings depends on the rating, it's still helping fuel more green developments.

"AB3 is very meaningful giving developers yet another incentive to pursue LEED," says Rich Worthington, president of the Molaksy Group of Cos.

"People are very concerned about alternative energy uses, and firms see the value in associating themselves with LEED."

The $96-million project, dubbed Molasky Corporate Center, will contain 284,000-sq.-ft. of office space with 25,000 sq. ft. of worth retail areas, including a 24-Hour Fitness Center, a bank branch, and delicatessen. The job also calls for a six-level, 568,000-sq.-ft. parking garage with 1,147 parking spaces. Marnell Corrao Associates, Las Vegas, is the general contractor under a $61-million guaranteed maximum price contract. The firm performs its own concrete, general labor, and carpentry work.

"We like self-performing because it allows us to better control project quality, scheduling and safety," says Mike Spainhour, Marnell Corrao's vice president of construction. "It additionally sets the bar high for what we expect from our subcontractors."

The 243-ft-tall structure, which rests atop a spread footing and concrete slab foundation, embodies green practices from top to bottom. The building, for example, reduces energy use by 30 percent with an under-floor air distribution system that eliminates overhead duct work and false ceilings. It also requires less power since heat rises, creating a natural convection. Bombard Electric and Mechanical is the heating ventilation and air conditioning contractor, with Flack + Kurtz, Inc., San Francisco, as the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineer.

"The number one complaint among employees in office buildings is the air-conditioning, so management is really going to like this building," Bingham said.

The building, meanwhile, uses steel momentum frame construction, which eliminates structural shear walls to create more open interior spaces. The project requires 547,700 tons of steel of which 95 percent is recycled from items such as old auto parts. Schuff Steel Co., Phoenix, is the project's design-assist steel fabricator and erector. >>

"The move brings added sunlight inside, thereby reducing electrical expenses," says Ron Woodward, Marnell's LEED project manager. "At the same time, it exposes employees to a more healthy work environment."

Corner offices have been nixed in order to maximized sunlight indoors.

Englekirk Partners, Santa Ana, Calif., is the structural engineer. The tower's tinted laminated glass curtain-wall façade with pre-cast paneling helps achieve a light and airy interior.

Much of the emphasis on sustainability came as a result of the building's main tenant - The Southern Nevada Water Authority. The public agency signed a 20-year, $63.3-million lease to occupy the first seven floors totaling 129,000-sq.-ft., with an option to buy.

"Some of the water authority's prime missions are conservation and acting as a steward of the environment," Worthington said. "So it seemed natural for us to build a LEED project that embodied those principals."

Other green building practices include special low-flow water fixtures that cut water use by 25 percent, while recycling rainwater for irrigation. The parking structure has 150 solar photovoltaic panels atop its roof that add 55,000-kw of power annually. No volatile organic compounds are allowed inside, including glues and dyed materials. And 85 percent of all the building products used during construction will contain recycled content.

The 2.9-acre project, which broke ground in January, is expected to make its downtown debut by mid-summer 2007. The green site will see up to 100 tradesmen and 35 subcontractors during the height of construction activity.

"This is an exciting project and a first for the city," says Jody Dodge, Marnell's project superintendent. "And, hopefully, it will encourage other green projects."


Key Players

Owner: The Molasky Group of Cos.
Architect: Howard F. Thompson Architects Inc.
General Contractor: Marnell Corrao Associates
Engineers: Flack + Kurtz, Inc.; Englekirk Partners
Steel: Schuff Steel Co.
Concrete: Marnell Corrao Associates
Electrical: Bombard Electric
Mechanical: Bombard Mechanical
Foundation: M.J. Dean Construction

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