First Community Bank of Southwest Florida (www.fcb-yourbank.com) director of facilities Jon Witenko is working with Moore & Spence Architects and Benchmark Construction to build the first LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certified commercial building in Lee County.

The 10,000 square-foot building is at 3414 Forum Blvd. in the Forum retail center in Fort Myers.

The construction process has been reevaluated and reengineered to use Greenguard certified products and energy efficient processes. Roof tiles were specifically selected to minimize the damaging impact of heat on the microclimate by providing a high Solar Reflectance Index.

R&R Sprinklers and Scrivner’s Landscaping and Garden created a plan to minimize the water consumption of the landscaping. The plants were carefully chosen that are drought resistant while the sprinklers were reengineered to provide low drip irrigation and cut water consumption by over 50 percent.

“The focus on the project has been not just how obtain LEED certification, but to embrace the concept of sustainability, reusability and low impact on the environment,” said Witenko.

The bank will open a new full-service branch in 4,000 square feet of the building with the remaining space to be made available for tenants.

Construction will be complete in the fourth quarter of 2008.