VERDE AT HOWARD SQUARE NAMED FIRST LEED PLATINUM CERTIFIED APARTMENT COMMUNITY IN MARYLAND

September 16, 2014, WOBURN, MA – The Dolben Company, Inc. (“Dolben”), and Atapco Properties (“Atapco”), are proud to announce that Verde at Howard Square has been named Maryland’s first LEED® Platinum-certified apartment community, established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Verde at Howard Square is located in Elkridge, Maryland, and is owned by Howard Square Residential Holdings LLC, a joint venture between Dolben and Atapco.

Verde at Howard Square is part of Howard Square, a 47 acre mixed-use development located in Howard County, Maryland. The 299 unit apartment community is the first multifamily component designed and built for the development, with others to come. The project team has carefully designed the site to improve storm water management; StormTech technology captures, stores, and treats 100% of the water on the site. The building also generates over 15% of the total power consumed through solar panels located on the building’s garage.

“With each new LEED-certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC’s vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, Verde at Howard Square is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement.”

Receiving 80 points out of 100, Verde at Howard Square achieved Platinum Certification through:
• Realizing a 43% water reduction
• Accomplishing 40% energy savings
• Diverting 91% of construction waste
• Implementing a Green Cleaning program
• Employing an Integrated Pest Management program


Andrew K. Dolben, Executive Vice President at The Dolben Company, Inc., stated, “While Verde at Howard Square may be our first LEED-certified community, it will certainly not be our last. We are committed to exploring and implementing innovative environmental practices, and honored to receive Platinum certification.”

Russell Powell, Vice President of Atapco Properties, noted, “We are thrilled to be recognized as Maryland’s first LEED Platinum apartment community, and would like to sincerely thank our entire project team for their commitment to our vision to become LEED certified. We would also like to recognize our LEED consultant, Lorax Partnerships, LLC, for their efforts in helping us to achieve this certification.”

About The U.S. Green Building Council
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 80 local affiliates, more than 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 167,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.

Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.

About LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Over 100,000 projects are currently participating in the LEED rating systems, comprising over 8 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 114 countries. By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

USGBC was co-founded by current President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who spent 25 years as a Fortune 500 executive. Under his 15-year leadership, the organization has become the preeminent green building, membership, policy, standards, influential, education and research organization in the nation. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

About Atapco Properties
Atapco Properties is a Baltimore-based, full-service commercial development company that has been in the real estate business for over five decades and currently owns and operates properties in New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. Atapco’s mission at all of its properties is to create environments for success through delivering and managing high quality real estate projects that provide exceptional value to customers, stakeholders and the community at large. For Atapco, sustainable development means developing and operating properties in environmentally and socially responsible ways that create shared long-term value and growth for all stakeholders. Atapco is committed to this concept and looks at each new project as an opportunity to incorporate integrated “green” approaches that can maximize both economic and environmental performance. For more information on Atapco Properties, please visit www.atapcoproperties.com.

About The Dolben Company, Inc.
With offices in Massachusetts and Maryland and more than 12,500 residential units throughout the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions, The Dolben Company, Inc. is built on a deep heritage of performance and stewardship. Since 1929, four generations of the Dolben family have upheld a proud tradition of unparalleled success and profitability, fulfilling the property and investment needs for a wide array of businesses, financial institutions, organizations and private investors. For more information on The Dolben Company, visit www.dolben.com.