Normandale Lake Office Park - 8500
8500 Normandale Lake Boulevard
Bloomington, MN 55437
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8500 Tower is a 485,000 square foot Class "A" 24 story office tower built in 1987 and located in the southwest Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. Owned by TIAA-CREF and managed/leased by NorthMarq Real Estate Services LLC, this impressive building is one of five office buildings located within Normandale Lake Office Park. All buildings are interconnected either by skyway or ground floor interior connection. The 8500 Tower features a granite exterior fa?ade and pyramidal shaped galvanized steel batten roof, two-story floor to ceiling marble atriums, with an attached six-level parking structure. The building has been meticulously maintained and provides a number of amenities for its occupants.
Providing supreme service levels to a diverse tenant mix, while operating at the highest level of energy efficiency was key in researching how to become more efficient. This research focused on the existing energy management systems (EMS). Ventilation is via a built-up VAV central fan system. Heating is provided by parallel fan powered VAV boxes with electric reheat coils and electric baseboard heaters under areas of full height windows. Cooling is derived from two 540-ton chillers and coils in the central fan. Cooling is distributed through pneumatically controlled, cooling-only, interior VAV boxes and the parallel fan powered VAV boxes at the perimeter. After hours HVAC is available on a single-floor basis. There are four 40-ton glycol dry-cool units for auxiliary tenant computer room cooling. The building EMS includes distributed direct digital control (DDC) of fans and DDC control of VAV boxes for space temperature control. A recommissioning study commenced in 2006 with the building's performance monitored and tracked over a one-year period. Recommendations for improvements, which were focused toward the existing energy management system, occurred in 2007. The recommendations included improving control of fan systems and floor return dampers, as well as the modification of winter night setback and morning warm-up control. In addition to improvements in the energy management system, in 2008, the boilers servicing the atrium of the building were replaced with high efficiency condensing boilers. Parking ramp lighting was retrofitted to increase lighting levels. However, with the incorporation of compact fluorescent lights, perimeter day lighting, and occupancy sensors, energy levels did not increase. The lighting is controlled by a web-based system providing flexibility for changes. In 1995, building lighting was retrofitted to T8 lighting throughout. The building has variable frequency drives on domestic water pumps and main fans, photo controls provide control for atrium lighting, occupancy sensors have been installed in all restrooms throughout the building and recently, as a result of restroom remodeling, low flow toilets, automatic flushers and automatic faucets have been installed.
No-cost measures include continuous communication with the tenant base through emails to tenant contacts, the property newsletter and the property web site. Examples of this message include turning off unnecessary lighting, computers and copiers as well as lowering blinds during high solar load times of the day. Janitorial and security staff are also highly involved in turning off lighting as cleaning is completed and continuously monitoring night lighting and extinguishing lighting when not in use. In addition, in October 2008, as a result of TIAA-CREF's ENERGY STAR of the Year Award, compact fluorescent light bulbs were distributed personally by management to all occupants while they left for the day. This encourages them to take the message of energy conservation into their homes. The ENERGY STAR plaque is also prominently displayed in the building lobby reminding all who enter of the high concentration the property has for energy conservation. The building obtained the ENERGY STAR in 2007 and 2008.
Communications:
Unavailable
Testimonial:
Unavailable
Please note: Narrative information in this profile has been provided by Met Life or a representative of this facility. Other building information was verified and submitted to EPA at the time of application. Building energy performance, operating characteristics, and ownership/management may be subject to change over time.
Building Owner:*
Met Life
Property Manager:*
cushman wakefield northmarq
Year(s) Labeled (Rating):
2007 (92)
2008 (84)
2009 (77)
2010 (82)
2011 (77)
2012 (89)
2013 (90)
2015 (94)
2016 (97)
Facility Type: Office
Total Floorspace: 587104 sf
Year Constructed: 1987
Contract Type: None
Technologies Used:
Unavailable