MGM CityCenter: LEED Consulting, Energy Modeling, and Commissioning

How the largest privately owned and financed construction project in U.S. history earned six LEED Gold certifications with Cadmus’ comprehensive sustainability support and guidance

At $8.5 billion, CityCenter is the largest privately owned and financed construction project in the history of the United States. With over 17 million square feet on 67 acres of the Las Vegas strip, the mixed-use project encompasses hotels, residences, casino, retail, dining, and an on-site cogeneration plant. CityCenter opened to the public in December 2009 and is one of the world’s largest environmentally sustainable urban communities.

The centerpiece of the development is the Aria Resort, designed by the world-renowned firm Pelli Clarke Pelli. The hotel stands at 61 stories and offers 4,000 guest rooms; 300,000 square feet of meeting space; 150,000 square feet of gaming; and a full range of amenities, including 16 restaurants, 10 lounges, a theater, fitness studios, and a spa. Distinctive green features of this premier hotel include custom-developed low-flow water fixtures, which reduced water use by over 30 percent, saving more than 33 million gallons per year; and 47 percent energy savings compared to ASHRAE 90.1-1999. Aria is the largest LEED Gold-certified hotel in the world.

Challenge

MGM Resorts International hired a team of more than 25 world-class firms to handle all aspects of sustainable design and construction for the project. Due to the size and complexity of the project, MGM needed a skilled and qualified firm to coordinate the 10 architectural, planning, design, and construction management firms serving in this effort. Success of this major project depended on seamless integration with the requirements for high-end design, first-class guest experience and uncompromising operational standards.

Solution

Cadmus was engaged to coordinate the sustainability- and LEED-related activities of these 10 firms from start to finish, integrating the sustainable design requirements with the many critical design and operational considerations of this world-class project. In order to meet MGM’s sustainability goals, the Cadmus team provided services including sustainable design consulting, energy modeling and analysis, LEED consulting and documentation, and coordination of commissioning and measurement and verification services.

Cadmus also served as the LEED consultant on the project and facilitated the documentation and submittal processes for six projects in the complex, all of which achieved LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) or LEED for Core and Shell (LEED-CS) Gold certification.

Results

• Six LEED-NC and LEED-CS Gold certifications.
• On-site cogeneration plant featuring 40 percent electrical efficiency and 34 percent recovery efficiency, more than doubling the source energy efficiency of most grid power.
• Water efficiency measures reducing building water consumption by 33 percent.
• New, local recycling facility established in 2007 to transfer, sort, and recycle materials associated with demolition and construction activities. Through the use of this facility, the project team was able to achieve a 94 percent recycle rate for construction waste.
• Recommended measures to improve building-level energy efficiency, such as operational changes that saved 2.7 million kWh and $185,000 in annual energy costs at a single facility, the chilled water plant.