PLANTATION, FL (July 31, 2007) US Capital Holdings, LLC, the owner of the Plantation Fashion Mall, has announced that its proposed mixed-use redevelopment project, 321 North, has been accepted into the LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot program.  Born from a collaboration of the U.S. Green Building Council, the Congress for the New Urbanism and Natural Resources Defense Counsel to evaluate developments in their entirety, the new LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot program recognizes projects that incorporate smart growth, new urbanism, and green design principles.

The LEED for Neighborhood Development program is designed to go beyond the single green building approach and focus on design and development - on a community-wide scale, said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council. Our pilot projects are pioneers - paving the way for the development of smarter and healthier communities.

321 North will be among an elite group of projects involved in evaluating the standards set forth by the program's rating system, which will be the first national rating system for neighborhood design. Only communities that protect and enhance the overall health, natural environment and quality of life by reducing vehicular traffic, promoting pedestrian foot and public transit activity and promoting efficient energy and water use are accepted into this program.

As a participant, 321 North can work towards future LEED certification for Neighborhood Development by demonstrating specific achievements. In addition to this LEED certification, the developers plan to pursue LEED certification for both the office and residential project components of their mixed-use development.

321 North will be located on a 35-acre site near the northwest intersection of Broward Boulevard and University Drive in Plantation, FL. It will incorporate residential, office, shopping, dining and entertainment components and is an integral part of the City's Master Plan to build an urban town center, called Plantation Midtown. In early 2007, formal plans for the $1 billion 321 North redevelopment project were submitted to the City of Plantation. The approval process is currently underway.

We are proud to be part of the LEED Neighborhood Development pilot program and applaud the owner's commitment to green development, said Greenberg Traurig's Paul D'Arelli, legal counsel for the project and a LEED Accredited Professional. A high profile project of this size and scope has an opportunity to serve as a benchmark for other projects and encourage the promotion of green building principles.

In addition to green building features such as highly efficient mechanical and plumbing systems and energy-efficient glazing, paints and finishes that enhance indoor air quality, the developers are planning to incorporate greenways, open spaces, an onsite filtration pond, and a heavily vegetated parking structure that will help mitigate the heat of the sun. Landscaping, which includes making use of large canopy trees and native plants to shade pedestrian pathways, is also part of the green design.

City of Plantation Mayor Rae Carole Armstrong offered: We are quite pleased that US Capital Group and 321 North are taking the lead in what we hope will be a new movement in commercial and residential development.  Economic viability and environmental responsibility are not mutually exclusive, and basic environmental and human concerns incorporated with traditional building design can create a sustainable quality of life for visitors, employees and the natural landscape.  It is our hope that 321 North will act as a catalyst and model for future developments in the City.

The existing development on the property includes the largely vacant 650,000 square-foot enclosed retail mall, a 138,000 square-foot office pavilion, and a separately owned Sheraton Suites hotel, which is completing its own major renovation. The redevelopment of 321 North will include demolition and reconstruction of significant portions of the enclosed mall with new retail that will face outward and open up onto a new main street;

as well as the construction of additional new open-air retail and restaurants.  Upon completion, 321 North will yield 613,500 square feet of retail; 613,000 square feet of combined new Class A office space in two new office buildings and an existing renovated office tower; and 590 residential units.

Leading the architectural design and development of the project is ADD Inc, a national award-winning design firm. Other team members include Sherif Ayad, of ID & Design International, an award-winning retail design specialist; EDAW, consistently ranked among the world's leading landscape design firms; Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., one of the nation's most respected engineering and land planning firms; The McGarey Group as leasing agent for the retail; and Transwestern, a preeminent full-service commercial real estate firm which controls more than four million square feet of space throughout the southeast, handling leasing for the office component. Together, the team will conceptualize and implement a plan to redevelop and reposition the mall into a vibrant and compelling mixed-use destination.

For more information, visit www.321north.com.

About US Capital Holdings, LLC

Founded in 2004, US Capital Holdings is an international private equity investor based in Plantation, Florida. The firm was formed to identify and reposition underperforming or distressed properties in advantageous locations and provide capital and real estate management services to institutions and personal investors overseas.

About the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

Since its founding in 1993, USGBC has become the nation's foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to advance buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.  The Council also supports a rich education and research agenda, including Greenbuild, the largest international conference & expo focused on green building as well as an aggressive education and advocacy program delivered at the local level through 60 chapters across the United States.