County parking garage, building receive LEED Gold Certification

Miami-Dade County’s West Lot Parking Garage and Office Building in downtown have earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Located at 220 NW Third Street, the sixlevel, 320,127 square foot structure includes 266,867 square feet of parking throughout the six levels; 52,260 square feet of office and storage space in four levels, and 1,000 square feet of retail area. The garage and office building, which is of precast/masonry construction, sits on 1.67 acres of land. The project was constructed by Munilla Construction Management, LLC (MCM).

“This project, which was completed on time and within budget, marks a significant milestone in the county’s sustainability programs,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “It’s a reflection of our commitment to our environment. We are building greener and preserving our natural resources, while enhancing our community’s services.”

The initial certification level sought by Miami-Dade County for the project was Silver and the MCM team worked on a design to achieve a minimum of 33 points. After consistent efforts throughout the construction phase, the project achieved 35 points and was awarded the LEED Gold certification under the “Core & Shell” rating system.

Among the sustainable strategies pursued by the county and MCM design build team are:

• The building envelope is designed so the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting and other systems maximize the overall energy performance. The building as designed will provide a 23.7 percent energy savings and a 20.7 percent cost savings.

• Implementation of a program to save existing trees on site and relocating them to other locations, including two public libraries and an open space on NW Second Avenue and Third Street.

• A water booster pressure pump package is being used in the building, which will generate an estimated 33.6 percent savings on water usage.

• All landscape has been designed with native species, which do not require irrigation.

• Special designated parking also is provided along the ground floor for fuel-efficient vehicles. Future plans include adding electrical outlets for electric vehicles.

• The structure has a white roof insulation system, which reflects sunlight and minimizes required cooling.

• The building paint has low or zero volatile organic compounds (VOC) content.

Miami-Dade County’s Internal Services Department, Munilla Construction Management, LLC (MCM), PJB Architects, JALRW Engineering Group, Bliss & Nyitray Engineers, Walker Parking Consultants, SDM Consulting Engineers, Milian, Swain & Associates Inc. (MSA), and Rosenberg Gardner Design are among the organizations which worked on the project.


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