High School’s Journalism
Department Receives Awards

Published May 15th, 2008

By Nicol Jenkins
Editor

Coconut Creek is one step closer to a “green” downtown where residents can “live, work, and play,” according to city officials.

The city’s future downtown called Main Street will have commercial properties, retail, residential, and office space.

That vision of a mixed-use, downtown development in the center of Coconut Creek, bound by Wiles

Road to the North, Lyons Road to the East, Sample Road to the South, and State Road 7 to the West, is closer to becoming a reality.

The Coconut Creek city commission recently gave initial approval for a site plan for a project called Village at Marbella, which is a 23-acre mixed-use project fronting Sample Road. Plans include for a 150-room hotel. This project still requires final approval from the commission

Construction has already begun on the Promenade at Coconut Creek, a mixed-use project at the Southwest corner of Lyons and Wiles Road.

The city’s vision is for a centralized downtown area for its residents that will be environmentally friendly and become a place to “live, work and play,” according to Jim Hetzel, Main Street Project Coordinator for the city.

“In theory with having a downtown is to get people to live there and work there and play there and stay in the area so they never have to leave or get in their car,” Hetzel said.

However, Hetzel adds that the project is a long ways from completion.

''It is not something we see building tomorrow in its entirety. It is a long range plan for the future, anywhere from 5 to 7 to 10 years to be completely built,” he said.

Going Green
What makes this downtown development unique is the environmental component.

When approving the design, the city commission made certain that all buildings will be “green and sustainable”, and must be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council or the Florida Green Building Coalition, Inc.

“The city’s goal is to be the first city in the state and perhaps the country to have a contiguous certified green building project,” Hetzel said. “What we could have built there was a suburban warehouse park, but we wanted to build something for the city where the impact would be positive.”

The proposed plans include more than two million square feet of commercial development, 2,700 residential units, 1,300 hotel rooms, 800,000 square feet of office space, 300,000 square feet of community facilities, large open space and recreation components, and 15 acres of conservation. At this time, the main projects are the expansion of the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, the Village at Marbella, and the Promenade at Coconut Creek.

All projects will have “green components” including native plants to conserve water, recyclable materials being used for construction, and putting shade devices over windows to keep the heat out. Two smaller projects with recent approvals are two car dealerships, Maroone Dodge and JM Lexus that will add “green components” to their buildings.

“The city has established a vision and property owners have to comply with that vision,” said Hetzel.
Construction Projects

The Seminole Casino Coconut Creek proposed plans include: 44 acres of land with 150,000 square feet, a hotel with 1,000 rooms, a spa and pool area, convention facilities, and 6,500 additional parking spaces. This project is still pending Planning and Zoning Board and City Commission approval and is still under review, according to Hetzel.

The Village at Marbella project, which is a 23-acre mixed-use project fronting Sample Road, has received initial site plan approval by the city commission. Plans include for a 150-room hotel. This project still requires final approval by the Commission.

Construction commenced in September for the Promenade at Coconut Creek, a mixed-use project at the Southwest corner of Lyons and Wiles Road. At this time, the developer is constructing the first phase with retail and office space. The Promenade is the first project to be completed within the city’s proposed downtown and will include approximately 250,000 square feet of shopping and restaurants, up to 125,000 square-feet of office space, and up to 450 residential units.

Developers of The Promenade at Coconut Creek are seeking LEED certification for the project, which will make it one of the first major LEED developments in the Southeast.

The newly-designateddowntown in Coconut Creek may also become one of the first planned and zoned contiguous areas in the country to be named a “LEED district.”

Signed tenants include: Ann Taylor Loft, Aveda, Banana Republic, Brighton Collectibles, Chicos, Claire’s, Coldwater Creek, DSW, Douglas Cosmetics, Jos A Bank, Juiceblendz, Lane Bryant, Lenscrafters, Limited TOO, Max Muscle, New York & Co, Portrait Innovations, Rosano’s Solo Mio, Saito Japanese Steakhouse, Select Comfort, SGH, Soma, Starbucks, Talbots, The Grape Merchant, and White House Black Market.

The Promenade at Coconut Creek is expected to open fall of 2008.