Wrigley Field Hits a Home Run with GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation for Cleanliness

NORTHBROOK, Ill.—June 3, 2021—Historic Wrigley Field in Chicago is the latest professional sports stadium to achieve GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council^™, (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. Additional facilities that can now display the accreditation seal include Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City; Alley Theatre in Houston; as well as popular properties and hotels in Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Greece, Austria, Spain, and the United States.

“When a facility has an organized approach to cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention, employees have a clear picture of their roles and responsibilities,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “GBAC STAR accreditation helps organizations create and execute a plan for minimizing risks associated with infectious agents. This makes it an ideal fit for historic places like Wrigley Field, newer hotels, and everything in between.”

Built in 1914 and known as the “Friendly Confines,” Wrigley Field has been the home of the Chicago Cubs for more than a century. In 2004, the City of Chicago named the ballpark a Chicago Landmark, and in 2020, the site was designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The ballpark, which is the second-oldest active MLB ballpark, averages more than three million fans per year, and is a sought-after destination for sports enthusiasts around the world.

The latest facilities to earn GBAC STAR accreditation include:

Airport

South Bend International Airport in South Bend, Ind.

Commercial Offices

Association for Talent Development in Alexandria, Va.
AT&T Forum in Washington, D.C.
GAIAT Facility Operation Solutions Co. in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Convention Centers

Las Cruces Convention Center in Las Cruces, N.M.
Yakima Convention Center in Yakima, Wash.

Hotels

Busan Lotte Hotel in Busan, South Korea
Canaves Oia, Luxury Resorts, Santorini in Oia, Greece
Courtyard by Marriott Edmonton West in Edmonton, Alberta
Delta Edmonton Centre Suites in Edmonton, Alberta
Delta Edmonton South in Edmonton, Alberta
Doubletree by Hilton Edmonton West in Edmonton, Alberta
Fairfield by Marriott Edmonton International Airport in Edmonton, Alberta
Fairmont Dallas in Dallas
Fairmont Hotel MacDonald in Edmonton, Alberta
Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Edmonton West in Edmonton, Alberta
Hemingways Nairobi in Nairobi, Kenya
Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis in Memphis, Tenn.
Hyatt House Atlanta Perimeter Center in Sandy Springs, Ga.
Hyatt House Denver Aurora in Aurora, Co.
Hyatt House Louisville East in Hurstbourne, Ky.
Hyatt House Tampa Airport Westshore in Tampa, Fla.
Hyatt House The Woodlands/Shenandoah in Shenandoah, Texas
Hyatt Place Charleston Airport/Convention Center in North Charleston, S.C.
Hyatt Place Ottawa West in Ottawa, Ontario
Katikies Villas Mykonos in Mykonos, Greece
Kristiania Lech in Lech Vorarlberg, Austria
Marquis Reforma Hotel & Spa in Mexico City
Matrix Hotel in Edmonton, Alberta
Metterra Hotel in Edmonton, Alberta
Radisson Hotel Edmonton South in Edmonton, Alberta
Royal Sonesta Harbor Court in Baltimore
Sawridge Edmonton South Hotel in Edmonton, Alberta
The Principal Hotel Madrid in Madrid, Spain
Thompson Dallas in Dallas
Varscona Hotel in Edmonton, Alberta

Museums or Cultural Venues

National Aquarium in Baltimore
Venue 66 in Los Angeles

Restaurant or Food Service Facility

Pappas Restaurants in Dallas

Retail Facility

The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley in Center Valley, Pa.

Stadiums or Arenas

Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, home of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder
Wrigley Field in Chicago, home of the MLB’s Chicago Cubs

Theatre or Performing Arts Center

Alley Theatre in Houston

“As more people return to the places where they work, eat, shop, watch sports, and socialize, they want reassurance that these environments are safe,” said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett. “The GBAC STAR seal is a clear sign that a facility knows how to properly manage biorisks and prevent future infections through cleaning, disinfection, and other best practices.”

Learn more and apply for GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation at gbac.org/star.

Find accredited facilities and those pursuing accreditation via the GBAC STAR Facility Directory at gbac.org/directory.

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 and service accreditation programs, 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 10,500 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 Rosemont, 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.

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For more information, contact ISSA Director of Communications Jill Nuppenau at [email protected]; phone, 847-982-0800 Ext. 1367.