A Clearwater office park has obtained gold LEED certification.The Phase II building at the Offices at Park Place, located just north of State Road 60 and east of U.S. Hwy 19 in Clearwater, has been awarded gold LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Paul Engelhardt of Hallmark Developers, the company that developed the office park, says that striving for environmental excellence is the right thing to do. "The image is that developers and builders are nasty," he says. "We like nice products and positive community reception. We like people to say they like what we've done for the community. We believe in environmental responsibility for the community. For our children's future."The building's green design features include a cool roof, insulated windows, low-toxicity/recycled building materials, and efficient mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems.Engelhardt says that this is one of several Hallmark properties to embrace environmentally responsible building efforts. The first building at Offices at Park Place was built out to reflect environmentally responsible objectives, and while the initial costs were steep, Englelhardt says he has noticed a decline in costs as the trend toward sustainable building practices has taken hold. "The first building was very expensive because it was the first, and the contractors and subcontractors were not programmed into the processes and elements involved in environmentally responsible construction," says Engelhardt. "It was a learning curve, so they automatically charged more. That first building cost 8 percent more than a building without environmentally responsible elements would have. But this second one cost just a couple percent more than usual."The new building houses Brown & Brown Insurance, Ultimate Staffing Services and a federal government office. Another building next door soon will be ready to lease.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Paul Engelhardt, Hallmark Development of Florida, Inc.
