Minto Communities Sets New Standard for Energy Efficiency, Sustainability and Resource Conservation

Tampa, FL, March 25, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Minto Communities, South Florida’s premier community developer and homebuilder has announced that its newest community, Cascada at Monterra, located in Cooper City, will set a new standard for energy efficiency, sustainability and resource conservation.

Introduced under their mintoblueSM label, furnished models for Minto’s Courtyard Homes at Cascada will be designed, constructed and certified to meet the following agency standards:

- LEED®
- Energy Star®
- FPL BuildSmart®
- Florida Green Building Coalition
- NAHB National Green Building ProgramTM

Production homes at Cascada will be constructed to these same standards. In announcing their latest innovation, Minto’s Director of Product Development and Design, Dirk Neumann, stated that “Since energy efficiency, sustainability and resource conservation are now more important than ever, Minto continues to innovate with the introduction of its mintoblueSM program. Notably, this is not some one-off million dollar showcase home, this will be an entire community of innovative townhomes with 1,400-1,700 square feet of smartly-designed living space, affordably-priced from the low to mid $200s in a prime location in the heart of Broward County.”

While builders throughout the Country are beginning to incorporate green building features, Minto has gone beyond in developing a standard meeting the requirements of all the major green building programs. “In effect, our homes are so green, they’re blue, mintoblueSM sustainable.”

Mr. Neumann added that “Our goal is to transcend the state of the industry in meeting the needs of our customers. Today’s consumers demand improved energy performance in their homes as well as sustainable products that contribute to their health and well being. Our job is to get it to them.”

These efforts are part of Minto’s core values, a cornerstone of Minto’s business philosophy. When Minto designs a community, they focus on providing customers with products of enduring value and improved quality of life.

mintoblueSM sustainable features include:

- Impact resistant, energy efficient, double paned Argon insulated low emissivity windows, sliders and glass doors for improved energy performance, comfort and savings
- High efficiency central air conditioning and heating with environmentally safe R410A refrigerant
- Use of Low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) carpet and paints
- Energy Star® appliances & bathroom exhaust fans.
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs.
- Low flow plumbing fixtures and water saving water closets
- Automated drip irrigation system using surface water with rain sensor providing reduced consumption and savings

Minto Communities’ parent company, The Minto Group, also operates in Ontario and is an established leader in energy efficient and environmental design having developed:

- 1st LEED® Canada certified condominium in Canada – Radiance at Minto Gardens
- 1st LEED® Canada Gold multi-residential building in Toronto – Minto Roehampton
- 1st LEED® Platinum production home in Canada – Inspiration, the Minto ecohome
- 1st office multi-tenant office building in Ottawa to target LEED® Gold
- Largest Energy Star community in Ontario – Mahogany in Manotick
- Largest LEED® Gold certified condominium in North America – Minto Midtown
- All BuildSmart® certified detached homes in Florida
- North America’s first mintoblueSM sustainable program introduction

About Minto Communities

Launched in 1955, Minto is a family-owned business that has built more than 65,000 homes and holds more than two million square feet of commercial space as part of its integrated real estate development, construction and management operations in Ottawa, Toronto and Florida.

Minto creates a wide array of award-winning new homes and resort-style master-planned communities, in addition to low, mid and high-rise condominiums to meet every lifestyle. The company has earned national awards and recognition by J.D. Power and Associates and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). For complete information on Minto Communities, please visit www.mintofla.com.

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