As more Austin-area developments are looking to become LEED certified to reduce their impact on the environment, they are also moving up in their environmental certification.
Last week, a North Austin office development, which started construction in January, became gold LEED pre-certified as a result of its energy and water efficiency, use of local and recycled materials and the provision of facilities for bicycling commuters. Located at Oak Creek Drive and MoPac Expressway, Oak Creek Plaza is a Class A 50,000 square foot office building on four acres of land near the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s commuter rail. Real estate developers have figured out that developing LEED certified office buildings will not only be a benefit to the environment but will also make their buildings more attractive to tenants, especially those from the West Coast. Oak Creek Plaza is one of the first gold LEED certified projects in Austin and will be finished in October of this year.
In May, the Ronald McDonald House of Austin and Central Texas became platinum LEED certified as a result of its landscape architecture and rooftop solar panels that power at least half of the rooms and avoid 30,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Located at 1315 Barbara Jordan Boulevard and completed in 2007, this 28,500 square foot facility is the first solar-powered Ronald McDonald House in the world.
Austin Commercial Real Estate – North Submarket (Round Rock) Office Space:
Situated in North Austin/South Round Rock, Frontera Crossing sits between I-35, MoPac and SH-45. Each of its four floors is 38,800 square feet with a building total of around 160,000 square feet, 120,000 of which is available for lease. Frontera Crossing offers Class A interior finishes as well as a 5:1,000 parking ratio. Many retail options are available in the immediate area.
Austin Commercial Real Estate – Northwest Submarket – Office Space:
Completed in 2007, Research Park Plaza is located one mile south of McNeil and Spicewood Springs at 12541 Research. This new development offers 272,579 square feet sitting on 11 acres, which is great for smaller tenants who have plans for expansion. The location along Highway183 provides several amenities such as nearby housing, a large selection of restaurants and shopping. There are 1,040 parking spaces.
River Place Corporate Park is a seven-building office park just five miles from Lake Travis near the intersection of FM 2222 and RR 620. The entire park sits on 48 acres of Travis County’s most beautiful land and is part of the 1,440-acre master-planned River Place Community. Of River Place Corporate Park’s 600,000 square feet, 237,220 square feet are available across four buildings. The office park is only four miles from Loop 360 and five miles from Highway 183. The parking ratio is 3.97:1,000.
Austin Commercial Real Estate: Southwest Submarket office space:
Parkway at Oak Hill is a new, Class A office development on a 22-acre site on Austin’s Southwest Parkway. The location offers easy access to downtown and Austin Bergstrom International Airport as well as views of one of Austin’s greenbelts. There are two buildings totaling 145,789 square feet. Building 1 has 59,376 square feet and Building 2 has 86,412 square feet, all of which are available. Both buildings are fully-sprinklered, and locker rooms and showers are available for both men and women. The 4.3:1,000 parking ratio yields 634 parking spaces, 452 of which are covered.
Located at MoPac and Loop 360, The Park on Barton Creek is a new office complex offering 211,000 square feet split evenly between two five-story buildings. Recently completed, this Class A office space sits on 20 acres, just six miles from the Central Business District and kitty-corner to The Barton Creek Mall across the MoPac/360 interchange. Floors are 21,000 square feet with 42′ bay depths. All parking is structured with a 4:1,000 ratio. A cistern is on site to recycle rainwater.
San Clemente at Davenport is a business park development situated in Davenport Ranch off Highway 360, south of the river. San Clemente is being developed in stages, and its newest offering, 3900 San Clemente, was completed in December. The park area is 49 acres, and there is the possibility of expanding total square footage to 800,000. 3900 San Clemente will be five stories, each of which will have 50,000 square feet of usable space for a total of 250,000 square feet. The parking ratio is 4:1,000, and several amenities are offered within San Clemente at Davenport, such as financial services, day spa and salon, dry cleaning and restaurants.
