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SALT LAKE CITY -- The Salt Lake City skyline will soon boast several new towering buildings; among them, the city's first "green certified" skyscraper.
222 Main, as it is called, is nearing completion. The office building stretches 22 stories toward the sky and welcomes first tenants in five months.
Chicago-based Hamilton Partners showed KSL features that will qualify it as Salt Lake City's first skyscraper for LEED certification. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which means it has to meet standards for environmental efficiency.
Bruce Bingham, a partner with developer Hamilton Partners, Inc. said, "We're using less energy, our carbon footprint is smaller, which leaves more for everybody else."
Architecturally, it's two buildings side-by-side. The design takes advantage of view corridors, lines of sight between other buildings through which you can view the Salt Lake Valley.
"We're trying to maximize the ambiance of the Wasatch Front and also the daylight that comes into the building," Bingham explained.
They call it daylight harvesting: getting the most out of natural light. Sensors dim inside lights when there is enough natural light, and the windows maximize efficiency.
It's 15 percent more efficient than current Utah energy code and uses 40 percent less water than similar buildings.
"We feel very good about the status this building has within the community of trying to be an example of conservation of scarce resources," Bingham said.
The developer says translucent panels being installed around the perimeter of the roof will be known as "the veil" They'll serve a couple of purposes: They'll provide a visual signature for the building, but they'll also hide all of the mechanical equipment on the roof.
"This building is world-class design. It would fit anywhere, but it's here in Salt Lake City," Bingham said.
Financing is secure, but right now the building is only 20 percent leased for opening.
When the company first planned the building seven years ago, office vacancy in the city was 4 or 5 percent. Now, office vacancy citywide is around 7 to 8 percent. But, the developer is optimistic demand will pick up and they will add the tenants they need as the economy improves.
"We're ready for expansion. We're ready for people to come, take space, and we can fulfill their need," Bingham said.
Two law firms and a commercial real estate company move in first, and the developer expects increased demand in the months ahead.
On the ground level they anticipate a variety retailer, and ideally a white table cloth restaurant, that severs lunch and dinner. During construction, the project has provided downtown an economic boost.
The $125 million project keeps 250 people working on an average day.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
