Former S.F. Federal Reserve Building Takes an Encore

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — She served as a major branch of the U.S. Federal Reserve for a half century before sitting vacant for a number of years.

In early 2005, a private asset management firm scooped up the majestic Beaux-Arts structure for $46.8 million and renamed it the Bently Reserve. After spending the last few years restoring her to her former glory -- but with several added twists -- Bently Holdings unveiled its conference center this week to combine up-to-the-minute digital technology with a green sensibility.

A slew of environmentally-friendly building features, for instance, should score the building a LEED-Silver Core and Shell certification by the end of the year. And state-of-the-art digital technology thrusts the 84-year old building firmly into the 21st century.

"It balances high-tech with companies and businesses that want to be in a space that is progressive and green," said Jason Wrobel of CRPR, the public relations firm that represents the Bently Reserve.

The conference center, billed as a more intimate and eco-conscious alternative to San Francisco's Moscone Center, occupies the second floor of the former Federal Reserve site and is comprised of multiple rooms named after sunken ships in the Bay Area. Rates for the individual rooms start at $400 and up for a half-day, and vary depending on the day.

There are Polycom video conference units in each conference room, high definition 22 kHz audio, computer rentals and a OPT-E-MAN fiber network protected by Cisco Systems firewall and switch equipment.

The building was upgraded with the Lutron Lighting Ecosystem to network all lighting systems to measure energy consumption and adjust interior lighting based on detected outside lighting. A new high-efficiency HVAC was added, as well as low-VOC paints and FSC-certified wood.

There is a building-wide recycling and composting program, and the associated construction waste from the renovation was diverted from landfills. Caterers are chosen for their green business practices and sourcing.

A grand banking hall used for private events, such as fundraisers or weddings, occupies the ground floor below the conference center and commands a base rate of $6,000 and up. Commercial space occupies the upper floors with tenants that include the Bar Association of San Francisco, SmithGroup, Wentworth, Hauser & Violich and the Energy Foundation, which is using LEED-Gold standards for its buildout. All tenants must agree to build out their spaces using at least LEED-Silver standards, but Bently Holdings may subsidize and defer the premium.

Bently Holdings owns a portfolio of properties in and out of the U.S. Christopher and Amber Marie Bently head the company, which the pair run with an eye toward social and environmental responsibility. One of the Bently family's corporate offshoots, for example, is Bently Biofuels, a Nevada-based business that produces biodiesel from non-food feedstocks, such as recycled restaurant oil. The biodiesel fuels Bently Holdings' fleet.