(Crystal Proenza is associate editor of Real Estate Florida.)

On July 8, NAIOP South Florida and the US Green Building Council hosted an informative educational preview of Stiles Corp.'s five-story Lake Shore II. The 130,000-sf speculative office building, located at 1300 Concord Terrace within Sawgrass International Corporate Park, is being touted as Broward's first multi-tenant LEED pre-certified building. The building's architect, construction and develop managers, property manager and engineering consultant gathered in the lobby of the brand new structure to give members of National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and the US Green Building Council a glimpse of the green class A office development.

The hosts admit that their biggest challenge came about because Stiles did not originally plan Lake Shore II as a green building. As a result, the team had to work with the city of Sunrise to change permits that were already granted and figure out ways to gain points in the LEED rating system after construction plans were already under way. The commitment of every member of the team to be educated about the aspects of a green building was crucial, emphasized Rainer Schmiedt, development manager.

Now, the building has gained a pre-certification from the USGBC, which means the structure is on track to earn the LEED core-and-shell designation. Pre-certification only applies to C&S buildings, explained Rob Hink, president of USGBC's South Florida chapter and principal of the Spinnaker Group, a sustainable design consulting firm in Weston, which allows a developer to submit design and construction plans to the USGBC. Final certification does not come until about a year after completion.