AFI Ploiesti shopping center owned by AFI Europe Romania received the LEED Gold Certification within the “green” building rating system of the United States Green Building Council, a press release informs. AFI Ploiesti becomes, thus, the only building in town to achieve the LEED Certification.
AFI Ploiesti received the LEED Gold certification in the category of existing buildings: operations and maintenance in regards to energy efficiency, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, carbon dioxide emissions, improvement of indoor air quality and the overall use of resources more efficiently.
AFI Ploiesti is the first and only modern shopping mall developed in the city center of Ploiesti. It was inaugurated in 2013 following an investment of over EUR 50 million. The mall offers a gross built-up area of 56,000 sqm, of which a total gross leasable area (GLA) of 34,000 sqm, spreading over two floors. Visitors can choose from more than 100 national and international brands for shopping, but have also an entertainment and leisure area of over 7,000 sqm and 1,000 parking spaces. With almost 100 percent occupancy rate, the shopping center is visited, on average, by 15,000 people on a daily basis.
“This new recognition for our portfolio is a great honor for us, especially since it comes shortly after AFI Tech Park’s LEED Platinum pre-certification in the area of sustainable buildings. We are committed to becoming sustainable not only through our office buildings or dwellings, but also through our shopping centers. This is why we are happy AFI Ploiesti now joins the AFI community of «green» buildings and becomes, thus, our first project outside Bucharest to achieve the LEED Gold certification, at the same time an extraordinary benefit for our tenants, as it means a reduction by about 40 percent of the utilities costs, compared to a conventional building,” says David Hay, CEO AFI Europe Romania.
The certification process for AFI Ploiesti was carried out in partnership with Colliers International, which advised AFI Europe Romania.