BALTIMORE (July 20, 2015) – St. John Properties, Inc. has earned LEED Gold Core and Shell Certification for Baltimore Gateway, a five-story, 100,000 square foot Class “A” office building overlooking Interstate 95 and located at 3700 Koppers Street in Baltimore City. The commercial real estate company acquired the project in 2012 and immediately initiated a comprehensive $8 million top-to-bottom renovation strategy that included a complete modernization of the lobby and common areas and an all-new HVAC system. The building is now more than 70 percent leased with the recent signing of basys to a 21,739 square foot lease and Cowan Systems to a 9,995 square foot lease.

According to the United States Green Building Council, projects earn this LEED rating according to national standards that relate to the “performance, health, durability, affordability and creation of environmentally-sound buildings.” The system examines and rates key building areas including interior space layout, interior finishes, lighting and mechanical distribution. The process further encourages “future tenants to capitalize on green strategies implemented by the developer” to ensure the consistency of this LEED rating.

“Baltimore Gateway was particularly challenging due to the condition of the property and the general lack of attention it had received,” explained Justin Schaub, Director of Sustainability for St. John Properties. “In addition to the wholesale upgrades and improvements that were critical to elevating the building above the standards of competing projects, the strategy needed to achieve sustainability protocols across all levels. Our company recognizes the importance of incorporating sustainable and energy-efficient elements throughout our portfolio to match the needs of our customers.”

Additional upgrades incorporated into Baltimore Gateway include the installation of energy-efficient windows, three new high-speed elevators, a state-of-the-art fitness center and the addition of a new LED pylon sign with a 200 square foot message board visible to passengers in over 180,000 vehicles per day along I-95.

St. John Properties, Inc., founded in 1971, owns and has developed more than 17 million square feet of R&D/flex, office, retail and warehouse space in Virginia, Maryland, Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wisconsin. For more information about the company, visit sjp.mu9b0uf9-liquidwebsites.com.