The opening comes as the retailer has announced expansion plans for the Orlando area [image-nocss] that include 44 new stores over the next three years: 13 stores in 2010, 15 stores in 2011 and 16 in 2012.
"With other retailers contracting or abandoning their growth plans, timing is good to seize opportunities," the company said. "These include store sites we might not have seen a few short years ago. We are seeing more opportunities at attractive lease rates. Real-estate valuations have declined, making it an attractive market for buyers and lessees."
Company project manager Jonathon Pauls said he sees "two kinds of green" in the new DeLand store. The first is the green of the store's design itself; and "the second 'green' is the savings in energy the new environmentally friendly design brings to the store's bottom line," he said.
A LEED-accredited professional himself, Pauls took the lead for 7-Eleven's green-building program in Florida.
When 7-Eleven embarked on site selection for its first green store, the construction team chose a previously developed commercial location where an auto mechanic shop had operated. The site was covered with an impermeable asphalt surface, but now more than a third of the new 7-Eleven property includes areas landscaped with native, drought-tolerant plants and permeable surfaces.
An outdoor eating area with cypress pergolas and arbors provides an inviting area for students and local workers at Stetson University (located across the street from the new store) to enjoy a meal or break in their day.
Designed by Burke Hogue Mills and TLC Engineering for Architecture of Orlando, the store's architectural features that are evident to customers include a 24-foot facade, arched entryway, standing-seam roof, trellised outdoor eating area, interior skylights and Florida ambiance. With its sand-colored stucco exterior and brown and green accents, the store looks earth-friendly; however, many features not immediately evident to a customer are what differentiate this store environmentally and contribute to a pleasing, shopping experience, the company said.
To earn the third-party LEED certification, new structures must gain credits to satisfy specific green building criteria in the areas of sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental design and design innovation.
The store incorporates a number of features and modifications that help qualify it for LEED certification:
Sustainable Sites
Increase pervious surfaces. The existing site was covered by 100% impervious asphalt surface, and now is 35% landscaped or pervious surface reducing demand on the city's storm sewer system. Reduce external heat. Light-colored concrete parking surface reduces the "heat island effect," which is heat radiated back in the air typically by black tar asphalt paving. The reflective membrane roofing also reduces this heat buildup. Preferred parking. Reserved spaces are designated for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles and for carpools. Materials and Resources
Construction waste diversion. A waste management plan was implemented to divert a high percentage of construction waste from being brought to the landfill. Local and regional building materials. A considerable percentage of construction materials (for example, concrete, wood, masonry and metal) were sourced within 500 miles of the site. Recycled content. Materials with a high percentage of recycled content are specified and installed. Certified wood. At least half of the wood used are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Greenblock forms for walls that are sourced and manufactured in Orlando. Energy and Atmosphere
High-efficiency HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning system). Heat-recovery system. Efficient lighting. LED (light-emitting diode) signage and light fixtures help minimize energy demand with limited heat output. High-performance prismatic day lighting with controls will minimize electric lighting use during the day. Insulated walls. Greenblock Insulated Concrete Forms provides a high R-value with 6 inches of concrete sandwiched between polystyrene-foam forms that minimize both heating and cooling costs. Innovative energy efficiency. Ultra-violet lighting systems for two rooftop HVAC systems maintain energy efficiency while eliminating viruses, bacteria and mold from the airstream. It also keeps the evaporator and condensate pan clean and free of bacteria and mold. Water Efficiency
Low-flow fixtures. Efficient water closets and lavatories will reduce water usage. Landscaping. Drip irrigation and drought-tolerant plants were installed to reduce water demands for irrigation. Indoor Environmental Quality
Indoor Air Quality. An IAQ management plan was initiated and followed during construction and before occupancy to promote a healthy construction work site. Daylight harvesting. Prismatic skylights provide natural light illumination to supplement artificial light. Views to the exterior by nearly all occupants are provided by the main storefront or an exterior window. Low-Emitting Materials. Indoor contaminants are reduced by installing products (in paints, sealants, adhesives or wood products) that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Some of the measures taken to reduce energy costs serve another important purposehurricane protection. The 6-inch-thick walls built by Greenblock not only insulate the store's interior from temperature extremes, they also can withstand 120-mile-per-hour winds, a requirement for buildings in hurricane-prone areas.
Before starting design, development and construction of the green store, Pauls said, 7-Eleven's Florida Division co-hosted a green summit with the local USGBC officials. Representatives from more than 25 Florida firms attended.
"There has been a great deal of support for this project from the community and our partners," said Tony Edwards, 7-Eleven construction manager for the Florida division. "As a result, we will open a store that is more efficient, attractive for the neighborhood and environmentally friendly."
A celebration of the DeLand store's grand opening will take place in March.
7 Eleven, Dallas, operates, franchises or licenses more than 8,100 7-Eleven stores in North America. Globally, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses close to 37,500 stores in 16 countries. During 2008, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales of more than $53.7 billion.
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