Yesterday, we met with the Detroit Shoreway Development Corporation. The meeting was positive, and I left feeling even more jazzed than usual about our project. There are plans for improvements to the Michael Zone Recreation Center. It looks to be a great project that will have a huge impact on the neighborhood. Furthermore, I have discovered the “green” rapid station that is nearby is the first of its kind in the country. RTA has plans to make the overall site more appealing-adding plants and trees. I have talked about the office and shown you a few images, but I haven’t really given you an overview of the entire scope. Hopefully, after you read this post, you will see why we are so excited about it.
The building that we have purchased was built in 1885. It is actually 2 buildings with a shared roof. The second building was built in 1887. There is a third building that was listed as a barn, but has been used for a variety of purposes. Currently, the building is condemned, but as it is historically significant, it has not been demolished. We will be leasing the smaller of the two buildings-preferable to leasers that are environmentally or community oriented. The larger space will be our offices. The main floor is a storefront space which will be open plan. It will be used as our conference room, but will feature gallery showings of local artists and host community events.
Eco Education Park
The outbuilding and environs is the future home of the Eco Education Park. The site will include permeable pavers, solar/wind power, bio swale and storm water management. There will be benches, and educational stations that feature environmental practices. We will highlight such issues as native vegetation, the local watershed and local wildlife. Cleveland’s aging infrastructure needs all the help it can get. Green building practices can take some of the strain off of these public services. Furthermore, many people don’t understand the importance of conserving water and protecting our local watershed. We hope to be able to highlight not just why but how this can be done. The building will become the Eco Education Center. Inside we will feature interactive exhibits that showcase green building practices and products. We plan to have corporately sponsored exhibits where new products can be seen. Plans include a bulb station, where you can compare the energy consumption of traditional, CFL and LED bulbs; and an exhibit on recycling carpet. The Eco Education Center will also be used as a base to highlight sustainable programs. For example, we plan to have a denim drop off station to collect old jeans to make into insulation. Other ideas include a seed distribution program to encourage people to garden and grow their own food. To further connect to the community, we intend to install public seating for the bus line, have garbage/recycling receptacles available and beautify the street through plantings and planters.
Green building and sustainability are ideas that often elude the general public and often members of mainstream construction industry. Furthermore, outside of trade shows, there is little access to information on sustainable products. The purpose of this project is to educate everyone on the process, showing in real time what one can expect on a project of this scope. If we can do it with an old condemned building-anyone can. The Eco Education Park will serve as a repository of knowledge that can be accessed by a large audience; giving everyone a chance to see what “green” looks and feels like.
This is a beautiful project. I feel that it serves as a wonderful model and I hope to see more of these pop up. It serves in many ways.