Officials from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Social Security Administration (SSA), city of Birmingham, Ala., and Opus today dedicated the recently completed Social Security Administration Center in downtown Birmingham. The ceremony included a posting and retiring of colors by Birmingham’s Parker High School Junior ROTC Color Guard, the Pledge of Allegiance, an invocation and remarks.
The eight-story SSA building, a world-class project designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver certification, totals 588,000 square feet on 10.5 acres within Birmingham’s historic civil rights district. The prestigious facility, one of the largest lease construction projects in the country, was delivered to the SSA and Birmingham community in January 2008 and is home to 2,200 SSA employees.
“GSA is proud to assist SSA as it helps advance the economic security of the nation’s people through compassionate and vigilant leadership in shaping and managing America’s Social Security programs,” explained Sabina Sims, deputy assistant regional administration for GSA in Atlanta. “Infused with the style of downtown Birmingham, this building will help SSA fulfill its mission of service to the American people while supporting local city revitalization efforts.”
The SSA building offers employees a modern, environmentally friendly work environment with a number of sustainable building and design elements, including recycled and renewable construction products, no or low volatile organic compounds, a raised floor system that improves indoor air quality and reduces energy costs, natural light harvesting that increases energy efficiency and an 83,145-square-foot green roof with oxygen-producing plants and vegetation that reduces the building’s carbon footprint through absorption of carbon dioxide.
“It was an honor to partner with the GSA and city of Birmingham on this state-of-the-art facility for the SSA,” said R. Duane Wood, vice president of Opus South. “We hope this project spurs further community revitalization efforts as part of the city’s Downtown Northwest Redevelopment Plan and that it becomes one of many sustainable buildings overlooking the city of Birmingham.”
A national leader in sustainable development, Opus has more than 20 million square feet in planning or under development that incorporate sustainable elements recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council, ENERGY STAR and Green Globes.
During the last five years, Opus has quickly become a design-build partner of choice for the federal government, with more than 2.1 million square feet of leased space completed or planned for the GSA and more than 2 million square feet of office, research and training facilities planned or in development for U.S. Department of Defense agencies, including the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force.
Opus South Corp. is headquartered in Atlanta, with offices in Boca Raton, Fla., Orlando, Fla., and Tampa, Fla., and is one of five regional companies within the Opus Group. Opus South has developed more than 27 million square feet since starting operations in 1981 and currently has 4 million square feet in planning or under development. The Opus Group, based in Minneapolis, is a $2.2 billion premier, full-service real estate development company with 55 years experience. Specializing in office, industrial, retail, multifamily, government and institutional development, the Opus Group has completed nearly 2,450 projects totaling 238 million square feet and currently has 35 million square feet in planning or development. Opus employs nearly 2,000 people in 26 offices in the United States and Canada. Committed to creating great real estate, Opus implements best practices in sustainable design and construction to maximize building performance and reduce environmental impact. A community steward since its inception, the Opus Group is committed to the long-term development of people and communities by contributing 10 percent of its pre-tax profits to community organizations. For more information, visit
www.opuscorp.com.