When Paul Engelhardt imagines a perfect day, it ends with a short kayak trip on the Gulf and dinner with his wife and children at a favorite beachside restaurant. Outdoor pleasures like these have been a part of his life since he moved to Florida 43 years ago. It was then that his father laid the groundwork for what would become the family business, Hallmark Development of Florida, Inc., which Paul operates with his brother, Steve Engelhardt. Since 1965, the company has developed more than 630,000 square feet of commercial space in the bay area. The brothers bought the business from their father in 2003.
“I was raised on boating, fishing, playing with the family on the water and all kinds of outdoor sports. Almost all of my favorite activities depend on water, fresh air and sunshine,” Paul Engelhardt says. The two brothers have also raised eight children in Tampa Bay, deepening their appreciation of Florida’s natural habitats.
Given their history with the state, it’s not surprising that the Engelhardts devoted time, resources and finances to bringing a green building to Pinellas County – the new TUI Marine international headquarters. The project is poised to be Tampa Bay’s first office building with a LEED-Gold certification in the New Construction rating system.
“The day we signed the lease contract with TUI Marine, it was clear that both of our organizations aligned philosophically on the importance of green building. Fortunately, we already had another environmentally aware partner that was perfect for the project, our general contractors, The Murray Company,” says Steve Engelhardt.
The Murray Company, a design/build general contractor specializing in office, industrial, and healthcare projects, welcomed the opportunity to participate in the LEED project. By expanding its design/build focus to include LEED certification, the company developed unique expertise in green building.
“Our goal was to simplify the project for Hallmark and TUI Marine by providing a single point of contact for design, construction, and all aspects of the LEED certification process. It is very rewarding to know our work has helped not only the client, but also the environment,” says Michael Hartzog, a LEED Accredited Professional with The Murray Company.
The partners collaborated quickly on project requirements and strategies. They knew the LEED requirements were rigorous, but The Murray Company provided a clear understanding of feasibility and costs. With this information, the team decided to pursue a LEED Gold certification. They registered the project in August 2007 and the building was ready for occupancy less than a year later.
The team anticipates that the new headquarters will receive its official LEED Gold designation from the US Green Building Council in October of this year. Hallmark Development and The Murray Company hope the TUI Marine project is only the first of many.
“I believe we’re standing on the cusp of one of the greatest changes in building that our generation has seen. When modern air conditioning was introduced, it quickly became an expected standard. Developers who were late to the party found themselves with vacant space and had to begin retrofitting to include AC. Green building will cause the same shift in the next few years,” says Steve Engelhardt.
Fortunately, the shift he expects benefits not only people, as air conditioning did, but also the planet. His brother sees change happening already.
“Turtle grass and sea grass are growing again. Scallops are plentiful just off Ozona. I just saw a study showing that carbon monoxide is down more than 75 percent from 1980,” says Paul Engelhardt. “Over the years I’ve had a front row seat to the cycles our environment has gone through. Now I’m witnessing a return to better times. This is why we are planning to make all of Hallmark’s future buildings green.”
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