NEW YORK, NY, May 25, 2010 – Rockefeller Group Development Corporation (RGDC) announced today it has completed construction of the largest LEED Gold certified industrial building in the United States. The building, a 1.5 million square foot distribution center built for General Mills in Social Circle, Georgia, is also the second largest LEED Gold certified industrial building in the world.  LEED Gold is the second highest designation a new building can receive from the US Green Building Council (USGBC).

At a ribbon cutting ceremony held on-site in Social Circle, Les Smith, Executive Vice President for Development for Rockefeller Group Development Corporation, thanked all responsible for the building and detailed the project. “The Rockefeller Group is excited to have completed the largest industrial building in our portfolio and the largest LEED Gold industrial building in the US.  This project represents our dedication to sustainability and our sensitivity to environmental concerns. We are proud of all the work that has gone into this magnificent facility and wish our tenant General Mills much success in their new space.” 

RGDC built the 1.5 million square foot facility on a 130 acre site on East Hightower Trail in Walton County, Georgia.  RGDC and General Mills originally sought LEED-silver certification for the building however the number of credits accrued in five green design categories — sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality — well exceeded the number of credits needed for LEED-silver.

“General Mills is thrilled to be moving into our new facility in Social Circle,” said Mike Nordstrom, Vice President of Corporate Services, General Mills.  “From the beginning of the process, we worked closely with The Rockefeller Group to deliver the building on time and within budget. It has been a terrific partnership.”

General Mills has reason to be proud of the sustainability of the project.  The site itself was designed to encourage fuel-efficient vehicles by giving these vehicles reserved parking spots.  Other key innovations include the reduction of heat around the building by the white roof and the use of all-concrete paving, rather than asphalt.  Site lighting is designed to reduce light pollution. No light is cast beyond the property line and all fixtures point light downward.  Also, there is no potable water used for irrigation of landscaping. Water is obtained from the roof and paved areas of the site and is collected in the retention ponds and reused for irrigation.

To qualify for LEED-Gold certification, the building was constructed with state-of-the-art green building practices and achieved the following benefits:

• 48.9 % reduction in water use with low flow plumbing fixtures
• Energy efficient light fixtures, occupant sensors, high efficient HVAC systems, roof mounted up-blast exhaust fans and wall louvers account for a 50.2% more energy efficient performance over a typical industrial buildings
• 33.88% of the materials used on the project were composed of pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled content
• 77.2% of the construction waste was diverted from landfills (recycled) by sorting the materials and sending them to the appropriate recycling centers 
• 55.13% of the construction materials were extracted, processed or manufactured within 500 miles of the project site, helping bolster the local economy
• Lastly, each area of the facility has at least 30% more outdoor air ventilation than normal. Air quality is a key component of LEED certification.

Site work on the project began in June 2009.

About Rockefeller Group Development Corporation
RGDC is a national owner, developer, and manager of prestigious commercial real estate properties.  Its development capabilities include corporate headquarters, landmark properties, multi-use urban complexes, multinational distribution facilities, suburban business parks, and foreign trade zones.  RGDC, with regional offices in Arizona, California, Florida and New Jersey, is an operating company of The Rockefeller Group, developer of Rockefeller Center in New York City.  For more information, visit www.rockgroupdevelopment.com.

About General Mills
One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in more than 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills had fiscal 2009 global net sales of US$15.9 billion, including the company’s $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales