Detroit Welcomes Green Business Incubator in Zero Energy Building

By Veronica Grecu, Associate Editor

After more than two years, the renovation of one of the dilapidated buildings located at 4444 Second Ave. in Midtown Detroit is nearing completion. According to www.greengaragedetroit.com, the building dates back to 1920, when it served as a Ford Model-T showroom and it’s listed on the National registry of Historic Places. The Green Garage, as it was named by Tom and Peggy Brennan shortly after they purchased the property in 2008, will open by summer’s end as a place where Detroiters can get familiar with green best practices and environmental construction.

MyFox Detroit informs that the last phase of the redevelopment is almost finished and the Green Garage will be ready to welcome its tenants by the end of this summer. Five to eight environmentally focused companies are expected to occupy space in the building and thus add more jobs to the area. Reportedly, one of the future tenants plans to build furniture from wood and construction materials recycled from abandoned Detroit homes.

Some major environmental components can be spotted inside as well as on the exterior of the 12,000-sq. ft. building, such as solar panels that were installed on the roof to heat and cool the building and water tanks to collect rain water from the roof. An indoor bike rack and a shower facility were added as employees are encouraged to bike to work.

Since the Green Garage produces the same amount of energy that it consumes, it has been certified as a “zero-energy” structure with an estimated heating cost of only $300 per year for the entire space.

Also making headlines, The Detroit Dog Park team—made up of 25 canine lovers led by Carly Mys and Alison Woodburn—plans to create the city’s first dog park where dogs and owners can socialize, reports ModelD. The venture hopes to gather enough funds to build a park with benches and secured gating in the Greater Downtown district. According to Carly Mys, creating a dog park can take up to three years, but she and the team hope to speed up the process with community support and help from city officials.