Environmentally friendly building design is becoming more and more mainstream in Central Florida. On February 24, 2010 7-Eleven opened a new store in Deland, FL that they hope will be their first to earn a LEED® Certified rating.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, developed by the United States Green Building Council provides standards for environmentally sustainable construction and awards certification on four levels (Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum).
This article appears in Mar 3-9, 2010.