City Furniture has opened a furniture superstore here that the chain said is South Florida’s first full-line furniture store pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The 93,680-square-foot structure features both City Furniture and Ashley Furniture HomeStore showrooms.
“This opening is truly about sustainability—both economic and environmental,” said City Furniture President Keith Koenig. “Our company’s roots are in South Florida, and we’re deeply committed to grow with and help sustain this region. We’re pleased to have generated more than 200 construction jobs and to be adding about 50 new retail jobs as we launch the store’s operations.”
The building is one of just a handful of furniture stores nationwide that has been built to LEED standards, and the project team is seeking certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The superstore’s environmental features are expected to use 42 percent less water for interior uses and 78 percent less for landscape irrigation. The high-efficiency energy management system, heat-reducing features throughout and strategic use of natural light will conserve energy.
“While our customers will appreciate the ‘green’ features, they’ll see other dramatic changes in this new store,” Koenig said. “We’re continually reinventing our business to meet customers’ needs in a changing market, and this is the ideal location to introduce City Furniture’s next-generation store design.”
Built by Stiles Construction and designed by architectural firm Garcia Stromberg, the new building takes its design inspiration in part from the neighboring Boca Raton Airport. Rooflines are distinctive—a wing-like roof defining the Ashley Furniture HomeStore and a vaulted roof over City Furniture recalling the shape of historic airplane hangars.
“Building ‘green’ is a natural extension of our corporate values and sustainable practices. Going forward, we’ll look to achieve LEED certification in every location where that’s doable,” Koenig said, noting that several new stores and renovations are on the boards for 2011 for the firm.
City Furniture is the Ashley Furniture HomeStore brand’s licensee in southeast and southwest Florida. Koenig said his company plans to roll out its next-generation store format and increase the number of adjacent Ashley Furniture HomeStores going forward. “By parking once to visit two distinct showrooms, our customers can see the widest selection in the least time,” he explained.