BRADENTON, Florida (June 26, 2018)—On June 26, leaders from the Unites States Green Building Council gathered with Florida officials for a momentous celebration. Mirabella, the eco-friendly, 55-and-older community located just outside Sarasota, marked its 100th Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certified home. It is one of the first production-built projects in the country to achieve the USGBC's highest benchmark for energy use, water use and health.

"Our goal was to change the market and increase access to eco-friendly, sustainably built homes," said developer Marshall Gobuty, Mirabella's president and a recipient of the USGBC's 2016 and 2017 LEED Homes Power Builder recognition, a distinction that recognizes an elite group of residential developers who commit to LEED certification for more than 90 percent of their projects. "With the support of the USGBC, we've achieved that, and our residents, the community and the environment are the beneficiaries."

In 2016, just 9 percent of LEED certified projects were single-family homes, and most were custom-built. Mirabella's production-building process has increased the availability and decreased the costs of owning a green home. When the development is complete, it will feature 158 LEED Platinum certified homes, each using nearly 40 percent less energy than a conventional home and saving 2,500 gallons of water per person every year.

"Marshall and his team lead by example. They have been long-standing pioneers in the green residential movement and are one of the premier LEED developers in the country," said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC. "They've streamlined the design, construction, and certification of sustainable homes, opening sustainable homebuilding and living to everyone while showcasing the environmental, health and economic benefits."

Gobuty is already building on that mission with the "Pearl Home," a production-built, completely energy-neutral home for large-scale developments. His Hunters Point Resort & Marina will break ground next fall with 86 cottage-style Pearl Homes in the famous village of Cortez, and OurLIFE Smart Community, which was announced at the event, will break ground in nearby Ellenton in 2019, with 720 Pearl Homes designed for independent, co-living and co-working residents.

"Many people have been shut out of the green revolution, especially when it comes to living in a sustainable home, due to a lack of accessibility in this part of the industry," says Gobuty. "To make a meaningful impact on climate change, green living needs to be an option available to all homebuyers. We're making that happen."

For more information, visit new.usgbc.org.