Transmenu powered by JoomlArt.com - Mambo Joomla Professional Templates Club

Gulf Trace Elementary School, built by Creative Contractors, Inc., has been certified as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is the first K-12 public school in Florida to receive LEED certification.

Creative Contractors, Inc. of Clearwater is the first contractor in the Tampa Bay Area to have two LEED certified buildings under its belt. And both are LEED Silver (the second level of LEED). Creative previously received LEED Silver certification for the Dunedin Community Center in October 2007.

Gulf Trace Elementary School is located in Holiday, in Pasco County. It is a 90,000 sq. ft. school with a construction cost of $13 million. Holmes Hepner and Associates Architects, Tampa, was the designer.

Gulf Trace is an all concrete, tilt-wall design. Some of the LEED features of the building include:
•    1,364,000 pounds of construction waste was recycled (80% of all waste). 40% of construction materials were extracted and manufactured within 500 miles
•    26% of construction materials were made of recycled content (the carpet even included old automobile windshields!)
•    Preferred parking spaces for low-emitting and fuel efficient vehicles
•    Use of dual flush toilets and water conserving fixtures reduced water use by 40% 52% of wood used in the building came from sustainably managed forests certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council
•    All paints, adhesives, sealants, and carpets contained low or no VOCs (volatile organic compounds)

John Petrashek, Director of New Construction for Pasco County Schools, commented: “In teaming with Creative Contractors we were able to make a lofty goal a reality. Actually, we surpassed our goals in three ways. 1. We never expected Silver certification. 2. We never imagined that we would be the first in the state. 3. And the best, the Creative team surpassed our expectations in every way.”

Creative currently has three other registered LEED buildings under way, and several more starting this year. Josh Bomstein, VP Business Development, heads up the LEED initiative at Creative and is also president-elect of the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Founded in 1974 by CEO Alan C. Bomstein, Creative Contractors Inc. is a leading commercial construction firm headquartered in Clearwater, building throughout West Central Florida.