Word on the street is that the upper floors of Grand Rapids’ Flat Iron Building haven’t had occupants since the 1940s. Those days are long past now that future tenants […]
The UICA has left the 28,000 sq. foot space on Sheldon Blvd. and is on the precipice of opening the doors of a new 40,000 sq. foot home on the corner of Fulton St. and Division Ave. within The Gallery on Fulton.
Developers like John Green and Andy Winkel of Locus Development, a firm based in downtown Grand Rapids that specializes in real estate development and asset management, talk about people in West Michigan rediscovering the value of living, working and shopping in an urban community.
A $1.5M grant through the State of Michigan's Better Buildings for Michigan program is helping residents of six Grand Rapids neighborhoods save money on energy costs by showing homeowners how to make their homes more energy efficient. The grant is part of a $70 million Department of Energy grant that could help improve energy efficiencies in some 11,000 Michigan homes, including up to 3,000 Grand Rapids residences.The City of Grand Rapids hired the West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC) to conduct "sweeps" in the six neighborhoods to educate homeowners on the low-interest loans available through the Michigan Saves Home Energy Loan Program and various incentives for making their homes more energy efficient. Through the program, homeowners pay $50 for a home energy assessment that determines where the greatest energy costs lay, says Ann Erhardt, WMEAC energy programs manager. In Grand Rapids, state-certified contractors DwellTech Solutions and WellHome conduct the assessments using a blower door and infrared camera to find air leaks and cold spots, and also test for gas leaks and safe combustion around furnaces and water heaters. While on-site, the contractors begin sealing up air leaks, wrapping pipes, and installing energy-efficient light bulbs.The assessment produces a report and infrared photos showing problem areas, then provides a suggested action list ranked by estimated cost savings. If the homeowners choose, they can hire the contractor to fix the problems, or can hire someone else. Erhardt says the advantage to using the state-certified contractors is that they can help homeowners apply for the low-interest loans and state tax incentives. "The assessments really tell you what improvements will help your home the most," Erhardt says. "It might not mean getting new windows, it might mean air sealing your home or insulating your attic."The first sweep wrapped up in Eastown last March. A second is underway through the month of June in Riverside Park. In July, WMEAC will be in Oakdale, followed by three more neighborhoods to be determined. For more information, click here.Source: Ann Erhardt, West Michigan Environmental Council Energy Programs Manager; Jan Patrick, Michigan Biomass Energy ProgramWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
B & B Heating and Cooling started 10 years ago as two guys working out of cardboard boxes from the back of a truck, installing and repairing traditional heating and cooling systems. Today, company leaders say the firm is the third largest energy efficient geothermal WaterFurnace dealer in West Michigan.Four years ago, B & B decided to diversify from offering just traditional heating and cooling methods by adding the geothermal WaterFurnace line and starting a second company, West Michigan Geothermal. Since then, the company has grown 25 percent, stabilized its workforce at 18 employees, has 10 trucks on the road and moved into a new 8,000-square-foot facility in Sparta.The new building, heated and cooled by two geothermal units, serves as a showplace where both residential and commercial customers can experience the energy efficient systems first-hand. "The demand for renewable energy is on the rise, and not just with new construction. If you have LP or fuel oil, the demand is way up because these geothermal systems run at about 450- to 500-percent efficiency," says Brad Delaney, co-owner with Bill Schriver. "We're seeing energy bills that were about $4,000 a year on a 2,000-square-foot house, and we're dropping the bills to $1,500 to $1,600 per year."Delaney says that the systems run at 42 degrees for air conditioning and blow heat at 92 degrees, compared to a standard furnace, which blows about 120 to 130 degrees. West Michigan Geothermal designs and installs both open loop systems which use well water, and closed-loop systems which use a glycol solution that loops through a system of underground pipes. Source: Brad Delaney, West Michigan Geothermal and B & B Heating and Cooling; Suzette Garvey, Simply Genuine CommunicationsWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
The recently renovated building at 502 Second St. is more than a typical office space, and Chris Muller is more than a typical commercial real estate agent. Along with a partner, Keith Winn of Catalyst Partners, Muller purchased the property and developed it into an environmentally sustainable office environment.
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