Osceola County Home to First Green Industrial Park

The Yeehaw Transportation & Distribution Center in Osceola County has become the first industrial park in the State of Florida to register with the US Green Building Council. The Yeehaw T & D Center is a 430 acre transportation oriented project located at the crossroads of SR 60 and Floridas Turnpike Yeehaw Junction.

"Yeehaw Junction is strategically positioned for statewide distribution" said Kevin Hoover, Vice President of CB Richard Ellis. It is accessible to a market of 7 million people within 100 miles. Approximately 700 trucks per day pass through Yeehaw Junction delivering products to Floridas Gold and Treasure Coasts. The project recently received land use approval from Osceola County and the State Department of Community Affairs and is now in the design process.

"The decision to go green was a logical one" said Dan Shalloway, developer of the Yeehaw Transportation & Distribution Center. "While I am a true believer that green building is needed to sustain our Country, it also makes economic sense. Sophisticated companies understand that the energy savings and safe environment offered by a green building provide a competitive advantage. While many industrial buildings have been registered with the US Green Building Council USGBC, my search of their records show that we are the first in Florida to take the campus approach to building a green industrial park."

"While most people associate green buildings with energy savings, much of the emphasis is on indoor air quality and occupant comfort," said Brian Dugas, Director of the Renewable Energy Institute of Florida. "The Green Building Certification Process looks at ventilation, volatile organic compounds in paint and carpets, lighting, and thermal comfort. A well designed green building contributes to employee health and productivity which just happens to be good for the bottom line."

The Yeehaw T & D Center is built on the site of a former asphalt plant and power company storage yard and is sandwiched between two major highways. Sewage will be treated by a state of the art membrane bioreactor system that will produce high quality effluent exceeding the most stringent standards. The recycled wastewater can be used for washing trucks, irrigation, flushing toilets, and other non-potable uses. The project will incorporate native plants for landscaping in order to reduce water use and restore habitat. The stormwater management system will be designed to take advantage of the high sandy soils which comprise the majority of the site by recharging the groundwater table.

"The Yeehaw Transportation & Distribution Center may be the first green industrial park in the state, but I certainly hope it is not the last." said Shalloway. He noted that Floridas economic sustainability depends on continuing to attract industry. "To attract quality industry you have to offer quality accommodations. I hope that I will start a trend that others will follow. I would like to see all of our future industrial parks built to green standards."