Grand Avenue announced Thursday its new downtown headquarters is now fully operational — with the ground transportation company set to meet the multiple vehicular needs of locals and visitors seeking to get from Point A to Point B in a fast-changing Nashville.

Located at 186 N. First St. and designed for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, the 65,000-square-foot facility anchors a 4.5-acre site that was devastated by the Great Flood of 2010. Nashville-based Hawkins Development Co. designed and constructed the building. A cost for the project is not being disclosed.

Grand Avenue President and CEO Carl Haley said in a release the downtown hub will provide a central location for a growing corporate client base and the event spaces the company regularly serves.

“Being centrally located means we’re better able to serve our clients and respond quickly to their needs,” Haley said. “We also feel that by choosing this downtown location, in an area that was submerged by the historic flood, we are demonstrating our commitment to the community and our confidence in this district.”

Founded in 2009, Grand Avenue offers a fleet of more than 50 vehicles, including hybrid sedans, stretch limousines, mid- and full-sized buses, and vintage automobiles. The company is the official transportation partner of, among others, the Tennessee Titans, the Nashville Predators, Vanderbilt University and the Nashville Symphony/ Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

Haley, who previously worked as vice president with AIM Healthcare Services (a former Franklin-base entity that sold in 2009 to a unit of insurer UnitedHealth Group), said the new headquarters’ close proximity to the under-construction Music City Center is particularly significant, as the state-of-the-art convention center, upon its opening in early 2013, will draw to Nashville thousands of visitors with varying ground transportation needs.

“What Grand Avenue is demonstrating with its new downtown location is that the Music City Center is already having an impact on the city,” Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau President Butch Spyridon said.

The new headquarters will include on-site fuel tanks, vehicle cleaning technology and general maintenance capabilities. The building also has a state-of-the-art drivers’ lounge.

Grand Avenue expects to receive an official LEED Silver certification in the coming weeks. Previously operating from two locations in the general airport area, the company expects a 26 percent reduction in energy use at the new facility. The building's LEED-oriented features include a light-reflective roof, motion-sensor lights, skylights and high-efficiency air conditioning. Of note, Grand Avenue also recycles its vehicles’ used motor oil to heat its on-site maintenance building.

Grand Avenue recently joined Green Ride Global, a transportation industry consortium that advises member companies on adopting and maintaining best practice environmental strategies.