LOS ANGELES—OUE Limited has earned LEED-Gold certification for the US Bank Tower, an office building in Downtown Los Angeles. OUE Limited hired Hines property managers after acquiring the property in June 2013 to provide tenant construction management and LEED consulting services. The owners still plan to renovate the lobby and develop a public observation deck and restaurant on the building's top floors in early 2015.

The green improvements include a green cleaning program, lighting controls that help reduce energy, a reduction of carbon emissions and improved air quality and metering systems. The building now offers a recycling and e-waste program to divert 87% of waste away from landfills as well as programs to reduce water consumption by 30%. Additionally, the building now offers alternative commuting transportation for 64% of the tenants in the building. In addition to earning this LEED certification, the building has also earned an Energy Star label eight times since 2005, and currently holds an energy star rating of 84 with 36% energy efficiency, a savings of $2.6 million in energy costs per year as compared with the national office ceremony. 

The 1.4-million-squae-foot 75-story office tower is the tallest building in the Western region. Completed in 1990, the building was designed by Henry N. Cobb and Harold Fredenberg of I.M. Pei and Partners. The redevelopment and LEED certification are part of OUE Limited's plans to reposition the building into a premier office building in Downtown Los Angeles. The building's current tenants include Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, Regus, the Special Olympics and US Bank, which recently renewed its lease. OUE Limited was unable to provide a comment before the publication of this story.