Multifamily Housing Developers Have Incentive to Build Green in Tampa 

On June 12, the Tampa City Council unanimously gave its preliminary approval to an ordinance that offers incentives to developers that erect environmentally friendly buildings. Specifically, the board agreed to: offer developers of commercial projects and multifamily housing communities a 20 percent to 80 percent rebate on building permit fees, depending on the level of certification they receive from the U.S. Green Building Council; offer developers a 50 percent building permit rebate on single-family residential construction if they meet certain environmental requirements; and encourage developers of both multifamily and single-family housing built through the city's affordable housing programs to meet green building standards. Furthermore, the ordinance requires new city buildings to be constructed according to green standards, following a policy Mayor Pam Iorio championed earlier in the year. The council will likely give its final approval to the ordinance on June 26.