01/08/09

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Baylights, green nights at eco-condo

Developer Kimberly Rodstein has green in mind for Baylights.

For all the talk of South Florida going green, there hasn't been much evidence of an eco-friendly movement on the multi-residential front. Kimberly Rodstein hopes to jumpstart the momentum when her Baylights project, which the United States Green Building Council has officially deemed South Florida's first green condo development, is completed in May.

"We started this project three years ago, before green building was a trend in South Florida," says Rodstein, developer of the five-story, 12-unit environmentally friendly building at 1901 Bay Drive on Miami Beach's Normandy Isle. "We felt like this was the right thing to do. Green is a proactive way to build that benefits the community."

Designed by architect Kobi Karp, the project features energy-efficient air conditioning systems, tinted windows designed to reduce heat, and eco-friendly appliances. The Japanese-style landscaping around the pool relies on drought-resistant plants to conserve water, but residents will see plenty of H2O. Every Baylights unit comes with panoramic views of Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach and the Miami skyline. Baylights also boasts a meditation and yoga area, stone pavers, bamboo trees and a water wall in its natural air lobby entrance.

Baylights was initially designed as a conventional building, Rodstein explains, making it cost-prohibitive to obtain a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating from the building council mid-stream. Rodstein declined to reveal how much it cost to construct the project, but individual condos are selling for $800,000 to over $1 million. She has already sold seven units in this re-emerging Miami Beach neighborhood.

"Young, single professionals are moving to North Beach. People are willing to spend $800,000 on a condo in North Beach's new developments today because of the positive changes," says Carol Housen, president of the North Beach Development Corporation. "Plus, you can get a lot more square footage for your dollar here, and there are several brand new projects coming online to choose from."

North Beach is enjoying a rebirth with the likes of the "healthy living" residential complex Canyon Ranch, the Regatta Rowing Club and NoBe Bay adding luxury dwellings to what had become a run-down section between 63rd Street and 87th Terrace.

Baylights may not be as big; it may not have the brand name; and it may not be as flashy as some of the other developments. But it will be unique, as the only green building among its peers. In fact, the green residential movement in South Florida is not keeping pace with green offices and government buildings.

The residential green momentum hit a speed bump when the market took a downturn.

Mike Houston, president of the Florida Green Building Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting a statewide green building program, reports that several major builders with plans for thousands of green homes have put projects on hold. "We may be stalled for a couple of years," Houston says. "The bright side is this will give manufacturers time to develop higher-quality materials, but the downside is the lower demand will keep the price of the materials higher."

The bright side for Baylights is getting to market early. With so few green residential developments in the works, the project may appeal to environmentally conscious buyers who are looking to settle down in what promises to become a thriving area of North Beach.

"My goal with Baylights is to pioneer green residential development so hopefully, other developers will start becoming more aware of designs and construction materials that are eco-friendly," Rodstein says. "It's the right time to move toward greener developments."