The Avenue Viera Achieves GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation
The Brevard County, FL Lifestyle Center becomes the first center of its kind to receive this certification, underscoring the center’s commitment to safety and cleanliness
The Avenue Viera, a premier Lifestyle Center in Viera, FL today announced that it has achieved the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities. Under the guidance of GBAC, a Division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, The Avenue Viera will implement the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention in its facility.
As the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response, and recovery accreditation, GBAC STAR™ helps organizations establish protocols and procedures, offers expert-led training, and assesses a facility’s readiness for biorisk situations. The program verifies that The Avenue Viera implements best practices to prepare for, respond to and recover from outbreaks and pandemics.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the retail real estate industry we recognized the need to go above and beyond previously accepted standards and seek out innovative solutions to ensure the safety and cleanliness of the center”, said Kevin Cedik, General Manager, The Avenue Viera. “We are proud that The Avenue Viera is the first Lifestyle Center in the US to receive GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation. The Avenue Viera’s management company, Poag Shopping Centers, plans to roll this program out to its other properties in the near future.”
“GBAC STAR accreditation empowers facility owners and managers to assure workers, customers and key stakeholders that they have proven systems in place to maintain clean and healthy environments,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “By taking this important step to pursue GBAC STAR, The Avenue Viera has received third-party validation that it follows strict protocols for biorisk situations, thereby demonstrating its preparedness and commitment to operating safely.”
To achieve GBAC STAR™ accreditation, the center has demonstrated compliance with the program’s 20 core elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment and emergency preparedness and response measures. Learn more about GBAC STAR accreditation at www.gbac.org.
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About The Avenue Viera
Managed by Memphis, Tennessee based Poag Shopping Centers, The Avenue Viera is situated on Florida’s Space Coast in the heart of Brevard County. Conveniently located off I-95, the center offers a dynamic mix of premier national retailers, select local merchants, specialty restaurants, and entertainment destinations highlighted by AMC Theatres, Urban Air, Belk, Chico’s, Old Navy, Bath & Body Works, World of Beer and much more. For more information, visit AvenueViera.com.
About GBAC, a Division of ISSA
Composed of international leaders in the field of microbial-pathogenic threat analysis, mitigation, response and recovery, the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, provides training, guidance, accreditation, certification, crisis management assistance and leadership to government, commercial and private entities looking to mitigate, quickly address and/or recover from biological threats and real-time crises. The organization’s services include biorisk management program assessment and training, Forensic Restoration® response and remediation, the GBAC STAR™ facility accreditation program, training and certification of individuals and consulting for building owners and facility managers. For more information, visit www.gbac.org.
About ISSA
With more than 9,300 members—including distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, wholesalers, building service contractors, in-house service providers, residential cleaners and associated service members—ISSA is the world’s leading trade association for the cleaning industry. The association is committed to changing the way the world views cleaning by providing its members with the business tools they need to promote cleaning as an investment in human health, the environment and an improved bottom line. Headquartered in Northbrook, Ill., USA, the association has regional offices in Mainz, Germany; Whitby, Canada; Parramatta, Australia; Seoul, South Korea; and Shanghai, China. For more information about ISSA, visit www.issa.com or call 800-225-4772 (North America) or 847-982-0800.