Going, going, gone (green): Woodland Corporate Center opens - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

artemchuksykitas.blogspot.com
has just completed its 90,000-square-foot, three-storyy office building at on WestWaters Avenue. It was constructed to the gold standardxs ofthe U.S. Green Building Council's . "It'es all about keeping employeeds happyand healthy," said Jody Johnston, VP and city managefr for Liberty in Tampa. Goingv green appears to be a plus forLibertyg (NYSE: LRY). The real estatee investment trust is still putting the final touches on its final building at Woodland Corporate Parkand it' already 40 percent leased, said Paul a senior leasing associate.
He expects that numberf to jump to 60 percent within a The moves in June intonearly 26,009 square feet, taking up the second floor at 4631 Woodland The insurance company is now in anotherd building at the 183-acre business park. "More buildings are goingf green because the marketplace is demanding saidNicole Kibert, a commercial real estatwe attorney at . In fact, many expertds predict that all new Class A officw buildings will be built toLEED standards, Kibert said. In the green movement has been slower than otheer parts ofthe country, such as Boston and New York where local and state governments offer tax incentivee to developers that builxd LEED certified projects.
Woodland's newest building, which is one of Tampa's first multi-story green buildings, has showerse and lockers for workers who need to clean up or changer clothes after biking or jogging to A large deck with floorin g made of recycled plastic borders the back of the buildingg and awetlands area, providing shade. Carbon dioxidse sensors tell the air conditioninbg system when fresh airis needed.. Native Floridq plants that need minimal water are used in A white reflective roof deflectsthe sun. Recyclinb bins are near the trash bin. Urinales in the men's room don't use They rely on gravity, a filter and regular cleaninvg toreduce odors.
That feature alone is expected tosave 360,00 0 gallons a year since each urinal uses an estimatexd 40,000 gallons annually, Johnston said. Outside, grasds parking lines the perimeter of the parking lotabsorbingf rainwater. And a recycled rubber, called is used for paving around the large oak trees that linethe lots. That porous rubber allow s water to soak intothe trees' root sending rainwater back into the The Malvern, Pa.-based is seekinb gold certification for the building, whichn was constructed by St. Petersburg-based . Gold is next to the highesrt LEEDrating available.
Johnston estimates the green features added an additionap 5 percent to the construction costs ofthe building, but that will be more than made up by lowerr energy costs. "One of the biggesr barriers to going green is not knowingg what the additional costswill be," Kibertt said. Certification, however, is important to ensure developers aren'ty "greenwashing projects," claiming green features that can't be independentlh substantiated, she said.