CBRE Brings Birmingham its First Public Electric Car Charging Station

Birmingham, Alabama, residents and visitors will soon be able to travel downtown in electric cars without wondering where to plug in and recharge. CBRE has facilitated the installation of public charging stations at The Colonnade mixed-use development. The Colonnade is at the crossroads of Highway 280 and Interstate 459 - a central location for office and retail development.

"We were lucky in that the original infrastructure for charging stations remained in place at this location through the timeframe of increased interest in the cars," said Rhoda Kattus, CBRE Real Estate Manager.

The building owner, DRA Advisors LLC, and CBRE wanted to provide an amenity that retail shoppers could benefit from, as well as office tenants in the six office buildings and three hotels. Kattus worked with the CBRE property managers in Atlanta who serve Atlantic Station, a mixed-use development with public electric car charging stations, to ensure The Colonnade would follow the same successful pattern Atlanta has in place.

Alabama Power will be CBRE's partner in ensuring the project runs smoothly, and to provide electrical services to the property.

"Expanding access to electric vehicle charging stations is a vital step in making our community more sustainable," said Bobbie Knight, Alabama Power Birmingham Division Vice President.

As a whole, CBRE has been ranked as the No. 1 real estate firm in Newsweek magazine's "Green Rankings of the 500 Largest Publicly Traded U.S. Companies" list for five consecutive years.

"We are proud to contribute to the sustainability efforts here in Birmingham," Kattus said. "This is a turning point for the city in forward thinking sustainable efforts."

About CBRE Group, Inc.

CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (in terms of 2014 revenue).  The Company has more than 52,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 370 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers strategic advice and execution for property sales and leasing; corporate services; property, facilities and project management; mortgage banking; appraisal and valuation; development services; investment management; and research and consulting. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com