MIAMI—The Bank of America Plaza at Las Olas City Centre (LOCC) on Las Olas Boulevard has won Leadership in Energy and Environmental (LEED) Gold certification. Institutional investors advised by JP Morgan Asset own the building, which Stiles originally developed and now manages. The Downtown Fort Lauderdale office space is 97% leased.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded the 408,079-square foot, 23-story office building a certification in the Existing Buildings Operations Management (EBOM) category for meeting LEED standards for energy use, lighting, water and material use, and incorporating a variety of sustainable strategies. The newly installed LED lighting system that illuminates the building from the ground up is one of the most notable features.

According to Gavin Cooper, vice president of LED Source, the LED lighting solutions provider in charge of the project, the lighting retrofit allows LOCC to function more efficiently while significantly cutting operational costs: “We were able to replace the building's power-hungry lighting system with a brilliant, ultra-modern RGB LED system which significantly reduces lighting energy,” says Cooper. “The new lighting system will also allow custom light shows in support of holidays, charitable groups, and special events, further cementing the building's prominence on the Fort Lauderdale skyline.”

LOCC's new sustainable design features and practices include a recycling program and waste-to-energy program. Twenty-seven percent of waste was recycled and diverted from landfill in the first quarter of 2013. The remaining 73% of the building's waste is converted into energy and fed back to the FPL power grid.

Meanwhile, new LED lighting was recently retrofitted to significantly reduce maintenance and electric consumption while illuminating the Downtown Fort Lauderdale area. Carpet tiles are made from recycled materials, generating zero emissions for common area upgrades on multi-tenant floors. And low flow valves on all toilets and sink aerators on all faucets are installed to conserve water. A standardized green cleaning program was also implemented. LOCC is also Energy Star rated. The green office tower has won Building of the Year from the Building and Managers Association twice.

The Fort Lauderdale office tower features ground floor retail space that fronts Las Olas Boulevard. The building is home to both national and local tenants, including Bank of America, Boies Schiller, Greenberg Traurig LLP, Patriot National Insurance, Farlie & Turner Investment Bank, Gray Robinson P.A., as well as Subway, Offerdahl's, Mancini's, and Grille 401 restaurants.

Instant Insights /

Bank of America Plaza Goes LEED Gold

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