Chicago-based Fifield Companies and national developer Wood Partners have announced that K2, the partnership’s 496-unit luxury rental tower at 365 Halsted St. in Chicago’s Fulton River District, has been awarded LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
To achieve the prestigious LEED designation, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, K2 applied for 58 possible points in the USGCB’s rating system and achieved every one. Project highlights included: brownfield redevelopment, alternative transportation-public transportation access, water use reduction, using recycled and regional materials for construction, development density and community connectivity, among many others.
“Fifield Companies has made a concentrated effort to develop environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient buildings with all of our new construction projects,” said Steve Fifield, chairman and CEO of Fifield Cos. “We find that it makes sense on all levels. It’s the right thing to do for the environment and it makes sound business strategy. Today’s renters and corporate tenants want to reside and work in energy-efficient buildings. They want to be as green as possible and live a more sustainable lifestyle. We are helping them achieve that.”
Fifield has previous experience with large-scale LEED projects as the firm achieved LEED Gold status in 2011 for K2’s neighboring project, Alta at K Station. At the time, the 848-unit, two-tower luxury rental building at 555 W. Kinzie St. became the largest LEED Gold certified apartment project in the country.
“The practices and innovations we started at Alta we wanted to carry over to new projects,” said Fifield. “It allowed us to look at developments and designs in a different light and we challenged ourselves to come up with engaging ideas to promote environmental best practices. At K2, we installed electric car charging stations for our residents’ convenience and we included a storage area for up to 200 bikes that opens directly to designated biking lanes on Kinzie Street, promoting alternative and less energy-intensive forms of transportation. Both innovations have been a hit with our residents.”
K2 opened in March of 2013 and is currently 93 percent leased.
Residences at K2 include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Interiors feature luxury finishes such as nine-foot ceilings, stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, blue tooth amplifiers with in-wall speakers, plank flooring and Grohe fixtures. Rents range from $1,650 for a studio to $6,500 for a three-bedroom, three-bath penthouse.
Building amenities at K2 include a state-of-the-art exercise facility complete with men’s and women’s locker rooms, steam rooms, showers, and lockers; a basketball court/yoga studio; a screening room with the largest screen for a Chicago apartment building at 185-inches; and a business center with 10 computer stations and an AV/TV-equipped separate boardroom for residents’ business needs.
At the center of K2’s outdoor gathering area is a 70-foot lap pool with four full-sized swimming lanes. The pool deck features four WiFi wired cabanas, including two that can be completely enclosed for outdoor massages. The outdoor lounge area comes with a gas fire pit and direct access to both interior party rooms and lounge areas. K2 also provides a half-acre fenced-in dog park, complete with hills and a dog washing station as well as a bike kitchen and air pump in the garage. Every conceivable amenity and service has been imagined and brought to this serene property, said Fifield.
“The market continues to favor luxury rental developments and we have been fortunate to initiate new projects in under-served areas of Chicago,” said Patrick Trask, partner at Wood Partners.