By Nancy Beecher
ORLANDO -- Don't wait to enter Florida Realtors® annual Environmental Award program, or you may be green with ENVY when the winner is chosen. Popularly known as the "ENVY" award, the honor goes to a development that best preserves Florida's natural quality of life.
The award may be given in two categories: one for residential development and one for commercial development.
The most recent winner, Summit East Technology Park, a 117-acre commercial development in Tallahassee, was honored with Florida Realtors' 24th ENVY Award. Designed in harmony with Florida's natural resources, the project was recognized for demonstrating green building practices.
Summit East Technology Park is located at the crossroads of Highway 90 and Interstate 10, two major traffic corridors in eastern Leon County, Fla.
The project's founder, Rick Kearney, was committed to building an ecologically friendly and "green" community, but he also wanted to create a place where businesses could utilize the latest advances in technology, according to Summit officials.
Judges praised the development as a "comprehensive, green development that exemplifies the benefit of establishing an environmentally conscious framework within the planning and design stages of a project."
Some of the other environmentally concerned developments named as past ENVY Award winners include Oakland Park, Baldwin Park, Verandah, Lakewood Ranch, Wild Heron, Harmony, World Golf Village, Solivita, Amelia Island Plantation and Viera.
The winner in each category will receive a distinctive Lucite trophy, recognition at Florida Realtors annual Convention and Trade Expo from Aug. 24-25, 2022, and statewide news coverage as Florida's top environmentally conscious builder.
A panel of distinguished environmental and planning professionals judges the competition.
All Florida commercial developments are eligible. Also, all planned residential developments with a minimum of 30 residential units in Florida qualify. Residential developments must be currently available for marketing and must include a model home.
All entries must be received at Florida Realtors' headquarters by Wednesday, July 6, 2022.
Please send entries as PDFs, marked 2022 ENVY Award, to marlam@floridarealtors.org. Or send submissions as a flash drive via regular mail to ENVY Award, Florida Realtors, 7025 Augusta National Drive, Orlando, FL 32822-5017.
For more information about the ENVY award, call 407-438-1400, ext. 2326.