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Downtown Project Raises Standards

Trammell Crow Co.

The Prime Meridian Center will be built to LEED standards, which promote smart design, use of recycled materials and energy conservation. “It raises the bar in the industry,” said Josh Bomstein, of the local chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

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By DAVE SIMANOFF, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 12, 2007

TAMPA - In the architectural renderings, Prime Meridian Center is 20 stories of cool blue arched glass, banded with strips of precast concrete the color of sand.

It's not hard to imagine the building growing orange and pink in the late throes of a Florida sunset, or reflecting the violet and purple skies after a rainstorm.

But the most important color at Prime Meridian Center is the one you won't see in a sketch or on its facade.

That's the color green.

Prime Meridian Center, the first major new office building to rise in Tampa since 100 North Tampa opened in 1992, will follow the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council.

LEED promotes sustainability, conservation and environmental protection through smart design, an emphasis on reusable and recycled materials, and saving power and water through efficient heating, cooling, plumbing and lighting systems.

Trammell Crow Co., Prime Meridian Center's developer, has registered the office building's plans with the Green Building Council. Construction is expected to begin early next year.

The Green Building Council will only certify a building as LEED compliant once it is completed. Trammell Crow expects to finish Prime Meridian Center in January 2010.

Right now, only three buildings in the Tampa Bay area have LEED certification: the Happy Feet Plus shoe store in Clearwater, a community building in Dunedin and a small office building in St. Petersburg.

Decision Came As An 'Epiphany'

Veteran developer Robert Abberger is Trammell Crow's senior managing director in Florida. Ask him to explain his decision to pursue an environmentally sustainable, LEED-standard office building, and he will earnestly use terms like "epiphany" and "eye opening."

Abberger explained that clients in Orlando and Sarasota recently hired him to work on LEED-standard office and condominium projects, which helped him realize how important sustainable development is - and how much more efficient a LEED-certified building can be, when it comes to energy usage, than a traditional building.

Abberger also said about a year ago, Trammell Crow was purchased by commercial real estate giant CB Richard Ellis, which had made a massive commitment to sustainable development. As the two companies integrated, Abberger was tapped to join several task forces that worked on environmental issues, which deepened his commitment.

LEED-standard buildings "are not only healthier to be in, but also good stewards of our limited resources, and also have a positive impact on our community," he said.

Prime Meridian Center will cost about $150 million to build, or about $333 a square foot. Abberger said some of the building components - such as the more sophisticated power systems or plumbing fixtures - will cost more than they would have cost in a traditional building, but that investment in efficient infrastructure will save Trammell Crow money in operating costs.

The water and power bills for office buildings vary greatly, depending on how the structure was built, how old it is and how the tenants use the space. Abberger estimates that most of the major office buildings in downtown Tampa cost about $12 a square foot a year to operate, and Prime Meridian Center will "conservatively" cost $1 to $1.50 a square foot a year less.

Josh Bomstein, vice president of the Florida Gulf Coast chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, said that Trammell Crow's example will show other developers that LEED standards and sustainable development have moved into the mainstream.

"Trammell Crow doing it says to me that it's the smart thing to do. It raises the bar in the industry," he said. "They are not in the business of spending foolishly on their construction dollars."

Bomstein, who is also vice president of business development for Clearwater-based Creative Contractors, said many tenants may start to start to seek out space in sustainable office buildings, just as many shoppers are looking for green options in supermarkets and malls.

"Green in general - whether you're talking about green buildings or green anything - is everywhere," he said. "You can't pick up a newspaper or magazine without seeing some green things. You have to be in a cave not to have been exposed to it."

Trammell Crow isn't the only office developer with green plans in the Tampa Bay area.

Crescent Resources intends to build its next two office buildings in the West Shore district to LEED standards. Rubenstein Partners has registered plans for a West Shore office park with the U.S. Green Building Council. Liberty Property Trust also has a LEED-standard building in the works for its Woodland Corporate Center, according to the building council listings.

Building Will Set Other Standards, Too

Abberger said he is not worried about competition from new office buildings in the suburbs. He said Prime Meridian Center will provide the comforts of new suburban office buildings - such as large floors that can accommodate a lot of employees efficiently - as well as a bevy of downtown amenities to keep workers happy, such as easy access to the Channelside Bay Plaza entertainment center, The Florida Aquarium and the St. Pete Times Forum.

Compared with a suburban office building, many of the existing downtown towers don't provide very big floors, forcing tenants to divide their staffs onto many levels, Abberger said. Also, many downtown buildings don't provide a lot of parking for tenants, whereas Prime Meridian Center's adjacent parking deck will provide tenants with about the same amount of spaces they would receive in a suburban lot, he said.

Trammell Crow expects rental rates to run about $30 a square foot a year, which is comparable with rates in the West Shore district, but about 30 percent higher than other downtown buildings.

Abberger said he thinks Prime Meridian Center will stand out from the competition because it's the only suburban-style building with a downtown address. And, he says, because it's only a matter of time because tenants and office workers won't want to work anywhere that's not green.

Abberger will be one of those tenants. Trammell Crow and its parent company, CB Richard Ellis, will consolidate all of their local operations in the new building.

Abberger couldn't be prouder.

"I have three amazing daughters, and of all the things I've done over the years that have changed the skyline, this was the first time I saw them get excited about what their dad was doing," he said.

Reporter Dave Simanoff can be reached at dsimanoff@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7762.

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