Construction on a new 221-room Hampton Inn and Suites is starting near the Mary Brickell Village, home to celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. The 15-story hotel, being built by a firm known for its luxury construction, is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED certification and will include, amongst others, a solar hot-water panel, xeriscape landscaping and a charging facility in the garage for electric cars. The hotel will offer mid-priced lodging.

“Our investment group is taking a new direction in the dynamic Brickell neighborhood to aid recovery and satisfy the tremendous demand for moderately priced lodging,” developer Bernard Wolfson said in a news release. “There is more than enough supply of condominiums, apartments, office space and luxury hotels. What is lacking is a high-quality, mid-priced hotel. That is what we will deliver.”

The initial construction will employ 300 workers while the finished hotel is expected to employ 135 people. The projected opening date is the end of 2011.