Tampa Aims To Build Green

By ELLEN GEDALIUS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 23, 2008

TAMPA - The city is setting a higher environmental bar for the construction of new city buildings, a policy that will cost more at first but should save money in the long term.

Mayor Pam Iorio issued a policy Tuesday requiring all new city-owned and operated buildings be built to LEED Silver standards. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, awards points based on the type and number of green procedures used in buildings.

The silver standard is higher than the basic certification but not as high as gold or platinum.

Iorio's move comes as little surprise. Tampa City Council members have been talking for several months about similar requirements for future city buildings.

Various LEED initiatives are in place across the country, including in at least 77 cities and 24 counties, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.

In Sarasota, the county administrator in 2006 required all new construction meet a minimum LEED silver standard, with gold as a goal, said Nina Powers, a Sarasota official who works on green projects.

Last year, Gov. Charlie Crist issued an executive order that directs the Department of Management Services to adopt LEED standards for all new buildings. The department is to strive for platinum certification.

In Tampa, Iorio's policy applies to all new construction for city-owned and operated buildings that include at least 5,000 square feet of air-conditioned space.

The policy also stipulates the city will be cognizant of environmental issues when renovating existing city buildings. That falls short of a proposal pushed by Councilman John Dingfelder, who wanted to require higher standards for renovations as well.

"We renovate rec centers, we renovate firehouses, if we're serious about this, we should do it for new buildings and renovations," Dingfelder said.

Sarasota has found that green homes cost about 1 percent more to build than a traditional home, and commercial buildings tend to cost 3 percent to 7 percent more. The additional up-front costs are usually recouped in four to seven years.

Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679 or egedalius@tampatrib.com.