''Conservation, Conservation, Conservation!'' Los Angeles' Elleven First in Line with Governor's Call for Green Building!

LOS ANGELES -- Environmentally-progressive measures in line with Governor Schwarzenegger's new Green Building Initiative encourage 20 percent more energy efficiency in buildings.

In Los Angeles, Elleven, the first new downtown ground-up condominium project since the 1980s, is coming through -- ahead of the curve.

Developers The South Group (the partnership of Portland's Gerding/Edlen and Williams & Dame), a national leader in environmentally-responsible design, will deliver to Los Angeles its first downtown residential building to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Elleven offers sustainable elements, including an abundant use of natural light, use of low-emitting materials and finishes, water efficient fixtures, appliances and landscaping, and a strong emphasis on the use of construction materials that are both manufactured locally and contain high amounts of recycled content. An aggressive waste management plan ensures that the majority of materials leaving the site are recycled.

In Elleven, toxicity is out; sustainability is in. Odorless paints, energy efficiency in heating and air conditioning, bamboo floors, cleaning materials that are really clean and dozens of other innovations researched, devised and installed in Elleven will create quality of life advantages for new homeowners.

"We're even getting the janitorial service on board," says Scott Lewis, of Brightworks Northwest, LLC, The South Group's sustainability consultant. "The lobby and all building common areas will be cleaned with products that are completely non-toxic."

"Nothing about Elleven is 'business as usual,'" said Lewis. "We must protect and support the environment - and learning to build buildings differently is an integral part of that challenge. At Elleven, every development discipline is involved in 'sustainability thinking,' from the architects to the plumbers."

Smart Growth America identifies as its core principles, neighborhood livability, less traffic, lower costs and lower taxes, keeping open spaces open, and more. Elleven lives up to these principles by sparking the creation of a new and vital neighborhood in the center of a major city and one of the world's largest job centers. The development's mixed use will include ground floor retail -- and its site is just blocks away from the Convention Center, AEG's Sports and Entertainment District, the Transamerica Building and downtown's first new supermarket, which will mean that many residents can walk to work and services.

The South Group's Tom Cody says, "We know how to incorporate sustainable design features into urban development projects, which means our projects use less energy and fewer natural resources and have minimal impact on the environment. We've set the bar high with our first Los Angeles project."

About Elleven

Elleven, an ambitious $100 million project located at 1111 South Grand Avenue, to be completed in early 2006, will encompass 400,000 square feet of housing, parking and retail in a 13-story tower. For more information about Elleven or its two other phases, visit www.elleven-south.com or call 213-622-5400.

About The South Group

The South Group is the joint venture partnership of Portland, Oregon-based developers Williams & Dame and Gerding/Edlen and is renowned for its innovative, smart growth, environmentally friendly, high-density neighborhood developments. Elleven is the first of a number of projects The South Group plans for an area of the South Park neighborhood, to be known simply as South.

Williams & Dame's leaders, Homer Williams and Dike Dame, represent over 70 years of collective real estate experience. The firm has used an organic approach to urban transformation, collaborating with public and private partners to create unique neighborhoods that blend quality housing, vibrant street life and new business opportunities. Gerding/Edlen's Bob Gerding and Mark Edlen are widely respected for their extensive experience building large scale, mixed-use developments. With a fundamental commitment to building environmentally sustainable structures, the forward-thinking company fosters an "eco-friendly" progressive approach to urban living that consistently sets new standards in design.