August/September Business View Magazine

224 225 FLORIDA GREEN BUILDING COALITION sustainable building materials, tight insula- tion,water management, and other criteria. Sustainability is the town’s hallmark. Autonomous shuttles and electric vehicles will be key to getting around.The town is expected to eventually have 19,500 homes and 50,000 residents. LAKEWOOD RANCH Located on Florida’s west coast in Man- atee and Sarasota Counties.An early ad- vocate of Florida Green, this sustainable and growing community has been certified by the Florida Green Building Coalition. Land is set aside for open space with miles of trails for walking, biking, and multiple recreation activities including golf, tennis, polo, cricket, and dozens of clubs and activ- ities for residents. Points are awarded by FGBC for each of the individual green certifying levels, limited to bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. Builders accumulate numerical points for selecting and integrating individual environmentally-friendly,green products and sustainable tech- niques fromamenu of available green options. Homes are visited, reviewed, and certified by a third-party green verifier. Each of the green certifying levels is upgraded, expanded, or improving, on the green certification designation. Commercial business parks include fiber optic lines, natural gas service, and non-potable reuse irrigation water systems. Business Park locations are carefully planned around historic Florida ranch land providing wetland protection, and environ- mental stewardship. GREEN KEY VILLAGE Green KeyVillage is just a short drive from Ocala and Orlan- do in Lady Lake.The goal of Green KeyVillage is to combine “old Florida charm”with “new green living.” Each home and design is fully sustainable as defined and certified by the Florida Green Building Coalition and the Home Energy Rating