This past week, the Southeast region of the United States had two major green announcements--the groundbreaking of the first green office building in South Florida, and the first platinum LEED-certified building in the entire Southeast, recently completed in Atlanta.

Last week, Holly Real Estate broke ground on Miami Green, a 120,000-square-foot, 13-story office condo on 3150 SW 38th Ave in Miami. The green-glass building, which will be completed in 2008, will feature: an L-shaped design, which allows each office window to let in sunshine; parking on each floor, to reduce the need and reliance on elevators; and a roof garden, which will absorb the sun's radiation, reducing the need for air conditioning and which also can be used for company functions. As part of Holly's quest for silver LEED certification, it will also be located next to a Metrorail stop, a Coral Gables Trolley stop and a Metro Dade bus stop.

Currently, there are no LEED-certified buildings in South Florida, and Miami Green will likely be the first upon its completion. In addition to being the first green office building in South Florida, it will also be the first green high-rise and office condo in the entire state, noted Bert Checa, an investment sales broker for Holly.

Checa told CPN that the development will cost approximately $392 per square foot, including land acquisition--a mere 2 percent more than if Holly had not chosen to build green. He added that he believes this development, and the debunked myth that green building costs substantially more, will encourage other projects in South Florida as well. He cited a recent gathering of area developers to discuss the benefits of building green. "Most said they were very interested," he said. "It's the future for developers. If you don't get into green building, you will be left behind."

In Lithia Springs, a suburb of Atlanta, the recently completed, 8,743-square-foot Sweetwater Creek State Park Visitors Center (pictured) was awarded platinum LEED certification, making it the first platinum-certified building in the entire Southeast and only 20th in the entire world. The building features energy-efficient details such as solar panels, vegetate roofs, rainwater harvesting and a composting toilet system.

The Sweetwater Creek project was completed at $175 per square foot. Architect Dan Gerding, managing principal of Gerding Collaborative, said that the project generated so much interest that recycled solar panels were donated. The initial goal was a silver certification, but Georgia's Department of Natural Resources sprung for platinum when it realized it was able to stay within the original budget.

Georgia leads the Southeast in green construction, with 31 LEED-certified buildings. Gerding said that both Emory University and the Department of Natural Resources were early adopters of building green, which helped contribute to the growth.

North Carolina follows with 11 LEED-certified buildings; Florida, with 10; South Carolina, with nine; Tennessee, with five; Kentucky, with three; and Alabama, with two, round out the region, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.

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