Summerlin® Becomes Nevada's First Master Planned Community to Achieve LEED Precertification from U.S. Green Building Council
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HHH) announced today that its award-winning community of Summerlin® in Las Vegas has achieved LEED precertification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), becoming Nevada's first master planned community to achieve this distinction. Summerlin joins an elite global group of entities—including the Howard Hughes communities of The Woodlands®, Bridgeland®, Downtown Columbia®, and Ward Village®—that are recognized by USGBC for their dedication to making their communities healthy, resilient, inclusive, and inherently sustainable for residents. With this addition, Howard Hughes now boasts one of the largest LEED precertified or certified community portfolios in the U.S., covering more than 62,000 acres.
"Our achievement of LEED precertification for Summerlin—a thriving, award-winning community home to over 127,000 residents—demonstrates Howard Hughes' dedication to sustainable development and conservation," said David O'Reilly, Chief Executive Officer of Howard Hughes. "Nationally recognized as a leader in water conservation, Summerlin has added over 7,300 new homes, 500,000 square feet of office space, and a 10,000-capacity Triple A ballpark since 2018, yet water consumption has remained unchanged during this time—while Summerlin continues to provide an outstanding quality of life that makes it one of the best-selling communities in the country."
Summerlin has a decades-long history of implementing environmental strategies which have resulted in its LEED recognition. Summerlin voluntarily became the first community in the Las Vegas Valley to implement strict Water Smart conservation guidelines. As of March 2024, Summerlin has removed 638,100 square feet of decorative grass, saving approximately 35 million gallons of water annually.
According to Servidyne, a national energy and sustainability consulting firm that worked with Summerlin through the precertification process, the community boasts an impressive carbon footprint of only 3.3 metric tonnes per person per year, which is 78% less than the national average. One contributing factor is that the average work commute for Summerlin residents is less than 10 minutes. Summerlin residents also produced 62% less waste compared to the national average based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) figures from 2018.
"By achieving LEED for Communities precertification, Howard Hughes has laid the foundation for achieving its ambitious sustainability goals for Summerlin," said Peter Templeton, CEO of USGBC. "LEED helps large-scale communities like Summerlin embrace best practices and innovations that protect the natural environment, community health and our climate while improving quality of life for all. We applaud Howard Hughes' commitment to LEED across their national portfolio."
Today's precertification announcement highlights Summerlin's commitment to responsible development demonstrated through prior certifications of office and multifamily assets over the past decade. While Summerlin is designated as a LEED for Communities project, other buildings and projects in Summerlin have secured alternative LEED certifications. Downtown Summerlin's retail area, the Tanager Echo apartments, as well as its office buildings One Summerlin, Two Summerlin, and 1700 Pavilion have all achieved LEED Silver. Summerlin's newest office building Meridian is constructed to LEED Silver standards and pending certification.
Now in its 34th year of development, Summerlin, located just over ten miles from the Las Vegas Strip, has dedicated thousands of acres to more than 300 parks, 200-plus miles of trailway, and open spaces, and offers more amenities than any other community in Nevada—making Summerlin the #1 best-selling community in the state. Upon buildout, Summerlin will be home to more than 200,000 people.
About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a healthy, resilient, and equitable future for all through the development of green buildings, cities and communities. For more than 30 years, USGBC has been advancing green building practices through the development of LEED, the world's most widely used green building program. With the support of thousands of members, volunteers and partners, USGBC provides robust green building education courses, a rigorous professional credentialing program, and advocates for effective public policies. It convenes an international network of green building and sustainability leaders through the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and forward-thinking programs, including the Center for Green Schools. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About Summerlin®
A Howard Hughes community, Summerlin began to take shape in 1990 and has ranked in the country's top 10 best-selling master planned communities for nearly two decades. Located along the western rim of the Las Vegas valley, Summerlin encompasses 22,500 acres with approximately 5,000 gross acres remaining to accommodate future growth, including infrastructure, open space and common areas, all within the master plan. The community is currently home to nearly 127,000 residents who enjoy an unparalleled list of amenities. These include more than 300 neighborhood and village parks, more than 200 completed miles of trails, 26 public and private schools, 14 houses of worship, ten golf courses, shopping centers, medical and cultural facilities, business parks and dozens of actively selling floor plans. Homes are available in a variety of styles—from single-family homes to townhomes—with offerings in a wide price range, including custom homesites in The Ridges. Summerlin is recognized as one of the country's premier locations to raise a family and to operate a business, named MPC of the Year for 2020 by the National Home Builders Association.
About Howard Hughes Holdings Inc.
Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. owns, manages, and develops commercial, residential, and mixed-use real estate throughout the U.S. Its award-winning assets include the country's preeminent portfolio of master planned communities, as well as operating properties and development opportunities including Downtown Columbia® in Maryland; The Woodlands®, Bridgeland® and The Woodlands Hills® in the Greater Houston, Texas area; Summerlin® in Las Vegas; Ward Village® in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi; and Teravalis™ in the Greater Phoenix, Arizona area. The Howard Hughes portfolio is strategically positioned to meet and accelerate development based on market demand, resulting in one of the strongest real estate platforms in the country. Dedicated to innovative placemaking, the company is recognized for its ongoing commitment to design excellence and to the cultural life of its communities. Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange as HHH. For additional information visit www.howardhughes.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements made in this press release that are not historical facts, including statements accompanied by words such as "will," "believe," "expect," "enables," "realize," "plan," "intend," "assume," "transform" and other words of similar expression, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's expectations, estimates, assumptions, and projections as of the date of this release and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are set forth as risk factors in Howard Hughes Holdings Inc.'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Quarterly and Annual Reports. Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. cautions you not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release. Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future events, information or circumstances that arise after the date of this release.
Contacts:
Howard Hughes Holdings Inc.
Cristina Carlson, 646-822-6910
Senior Vice President, Head of Corporate Communications
[email protected]
Investor Relations Contact
Howard Hughes Holdings Inc.
Eric Holcomb, 281-475-2144
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations
[email protected]
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