After the charrettes: Now the real work begins for the Morristown EcoCenter
Posted by Kevin Coughlin on May 10, 2011 · 1 Comment
Three days of public brainstorming have papered the proposed Morristown EcoCenter with ideas, from wonderful to whimsical to wacky.
Now, organizers of the project must digest the suggestions and cook up something tasty for investors.
“Our next step is to look at the financial viability of the project,” said Jonathan Cloud, managing partner of the Tipping Point LLC.
About 35 residents, town officials and business people attended a series of “design charrettes” last week to share ideas for the former Mini Cooper dealership at 55 Bank Street. The original concept– an organic restaurant, commercial kitchen, food hub, rooftop garden, green retail shop, sustainable business incubator and performance space–remains intact, albeit with some new twists.
There is interest, Jonathan said, in creating a terraced roof and placing the restaurant up there–with a greenhouse garden above that.
The 20,000-square-foot building is surrounded by blacktop; some sort of plant-boxes are likely, added Mary Reilly, the charrette leader.
Mary Reilly and Jonathan Cloud outside the proposed Morristown EcoCenter, where three days of public hearings produced a plethora of ideas last week. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Participants liked the 1940s-style brickwork of the dealership and favored preserving it.
Some of the more fanciful suggestions–sky hooks to suspend the structure off the ground, a petting zoo and an animal processing center (think butcher shop)–were tossed out mostly for comic relief. A meditation center? A little more feasible.
Limn Architects and Potential Energies will cull the ideas and produce a refined project proposal that Jonathan and his CEO, Chris Kogler, can pitch to banks and private investors.
Jonathan and Chris hatched the Sustainable Business Incubator at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
By the end of June, Jonathan hopes to nail down enough funding to move forward with the EcoCenter project. He still estimates it will cost $2- to $3 million to convert the dealership into an environmentally friendly multi-purpose facility. The target is a LEED gold rating, the second-highest certification offered by the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Association.
Renovations could involve nano-ceramic films on the windows to deflect heat, and a “dessicant wheel” that uses drying agents to reduce humidity, Mary said.
Jonathan said his team has commitments from private investors for about $50,000– half of the $100,000 in seed money he set out to raise this spring. That target may be increased to $150,000, he said.
Ideally, he said, he would like to give any interested member of the community a chance to invest in the EcoCenter. But he said financial regulations limit such offers to those worth more than $1 million–people the government thinks can afford the economic risk.
Individuals of modest means have an easier time investing in developing countries like Haiti, Jonathan said. He has assisted in efforts to rebuild that devastated nation after last year’s earthquake.
The EcoCenter team is exploring whether any legal mechanisms exist for recruiting smaller investors, according to Paul Miller of Sustainable Morristown.
Despite these challenges, Jonathan expressed confidence that most key elements of the EcoCenter project can be realized. A prospective tenant is interested in leasing the main showroom area, he said, which would go a long way toward keeping landlord Jack McDonald happy.
“You have to keep your focus on the end objective… so you end up with something that benefits the community, benefits the owner and benefits the principals involved,” Jonathan said. “We’re trying to plant the seed for further economic development in Morristown.”
READ MORE ABOUT THE PROPOSED MORRISTOWN ECOCENTER
AND DON’T MISS THESE ECOCENTER EVENTS:
Thursday, May 12, EcoCenter Art Show reception, 6- to 9 pm.
Friday, May 13, MG Cartooning 101: Doodling with a Message, 7:30 pm. MorristownGreen.com cartoonists Fred Caracci, Paul Laud and Matt Keown will share some pointers. Bring along a pen for the audience participation portion of the program!
Tuesday, May 17, MG Wordplay: Fun With Words: Poetry, hip-hop, beat boxing, improv and more, starts at 7:30 pm.
Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22, Festival Earth by Sustainable Morristown.
Wednesday, May 25, MG Kids Art Show: Kids art, tips on green cooking for kids and a live art project. (This event starts after school, at 2:30 pm.)
Friday, May 27, Bike Morristown Critical Mass Bike Ride After-Party.
The May 27 event, The Morristown Bike fest (a celebration of people and pedals), is going will have a lot of stuff going on, including the return of the Cinnamon Snail, the vegan food truck that was here for our Earth Month celebration in April 2010. Also will be celebrating the forming of new non-profit, Bike and Walk, Morristown. Hope to see people there!
More details: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=145719265498622