The AutoNation Building Becomes Second Office Property in Downtown Ft. Lauderdale to Achieve LEED® Certification
Fort Lauderdale, FL. – April 05, 2011 – Stiles and AutoNation (NYSE: AN) today jointly announced that The AutoNation Building is the second office property in downtown Fort Lauderdale to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The USGBC awarded the 204,000-square-foot multi-tenant office building a certification for Existing Buildings Operations Management (EBOM) under its stringent rating system. The AutoNation Building earned the prestigious designation from the national, not-for-profit USGBC for meeting LEED standards for energy use, lighting, water and material use, and incorporating a variety of sustainable strategies. Stiles’ 300 Las Olas Place office property was the first in the downtown area achieve LEED status.
“As our fifth LEED certification, and second in downtown Fort Lauderdale, this project illustrates our long-term commitment to sustainable development and ability to lead the market in designing, developing, constructing and managing environmentally-conscious commercial structures,” said Stiles Chairman and CEO Terry Stiles. “This particular accomplishment is a testament to our strong partnership with AutoNation to collaborate with our design, construction and property management divisions to meet the USGBC’s stringent standards and establish The AutoNation Building as a sustainable and stylish office building.”
As Fort Lauderdale’s largest corporate tenant, AutoNation marked one of Broward County’s biggest office lease transactions of the year when they signed a 12-year lease with Stiles in 2009 to occupy 105,000 square feet of space at the building. Located at 200 Southwest 1st Avenue in Fort Lauderdale’s exciting business core, The AutoNation Building is a 17-story mixed-use Class A office building with more than 17,000 square feet of ground-level retail shops near Las Olas Riverfront and six levels of parking.
Stiles developed the building (originally known as 200 Las Olas Circle) in 2007 and became committed to achieving LEED-EBOM Certification for the building in 2008, just shortly after the company launched its corporate sustainability initiative. Having achieved LEED certification for other office and retail projects, such as Lake Shore Plaza II in Sunrise, Plaza at Las Olas in downtown Fort Lauderdale, the Palm Beach Zoo and City Furniture Boca Raton, Stiles and AutoNation were confident the team could obtain certification in a timely and cost-effective manner.
“A key element in our decision to lease our space at 200 Las Olas Circle was Stiles' commitment to achieve LEED certification for the building,” said Mike Jackson, chairman and chief executive officer for the auto retailing giant, AutoNation. "Sustainability remains a cornerstone of our business, and it is extremely important for us to grow our brand and company in an environmentally-friendly way. From the start, Stiles shared our vision for our new space that would reflect our brand and sustainability objectives, and we are proud to call this building and Fort Lauderdale our home for years to come."
The AutoNation Building incorporates energy-efficient and sustainable features, such as a computer-operated energy management system that controls the air-conditioning and heating while monitoring indoor air quality, electricity-reducing technologies, water-conserving plumbing fixtures, and the use of low VOC-emitting paints and sealants, according to Chris Rotolo, president of Stiles Property Management, which manages the building. In addition, the building features advanced recycling systems and green cleaning products that are environmentally safe, Green Seal Certified and bio-renewable.
As one of the most prestigious buildings in the iconic Las Olas area, The AutoNation Building allows easy access to all major highways and airports. It is 90 percent leased to key tenants including Sterne Agee, EverBank and and law firms Kopelowitz Ostrow and Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith.
Media Contacts
Adrienne Zvi, Stiles, 954-627-9021 or adrienne.Zvi@stiles.com
Marc Cannon, AutoNation, 954-769-3146 or cannonm@autonation.com
About Stiles
Stiles is a full-service commercial real estate firm with a clear mission: Invest∙Build∙Manage. With its diverse capabilities, Stiles has achieved a stellar reputation for excellence and market leadership within the real estate industry. In addition to Development, Construction, Architecture, Realty and Property Management, Stiles also specializes in Financing, Acquisitions and Repositioning. The Company is responsible for more than 37 million square feet of office, industrial, retail, mixed-use and residential projects throughout the southeastern United States. Since 1951, Stiles has played a vital role in South Florida’s rise to prominence. With a multitude of award winning projects, Stiles inspired the revitalization of downtown Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the home of its headquarters. The Company also maintains regional offices in Miami, Tampa, West Palm Beach, Naples, Fort Myers and Orlando, Florida. For more information, please visit www.stiles.com or call 954-627-9300.
About AutoNation
AutoNation, Inc., headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is America's largest automotive retailer. A component of the Standard and Poor's 500 Index, AutoNation owns and operates 243 new vehicle franchises in 15 states. For additional information, please visit corp.AutoNation.com or www.AutoNation.com. Follow us at www.facebook.com/autonation and www.twitter.com/autonation.
