Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/479398
26 ConneCTiCuT Green Guide • Fall 2014 www.CTGreenGuide.com Park City Green opened in July 2012 using a $100,000 Community Development Block Grant from the city to buy and renovate an old warehouse. Houle said Park City's board was looking a long time for the right combination of reasonable rent and a fitting facility, and the city's com- mitment to their busi- ness model was vital to the success of the concept. Looking out into the future, The City's Center for Sustainable Business Growth, which was formed in 2012, estimates the Eco-Technology Park will create an additional 600-750 jobs if 14 companies considering the loca- tion come to fruition. Another major part of this Finch's effort is Green Energy Park, which will be home to a 2.8 megawatt fuel cell facility and another 2.2 megawatts of solar panels. The complex will be on nine-acres of closed landfill near Long Island Sound, which Bridgeport purchased in March. The Green Energy Park compli- ments other eco-friendly power generation facilities, where Finch envisions a significant portion of Birdgeport's needs being met by clean fuels. The other installations include a 1.4 megawatt fuel cell system at the University of Bridge- port, the long-standing 67 megawatt Wheelabrator trash-to-energy facil- ity, and a 14.9 megawatt fuel cell park — the largest in the world outside of South Korea. "The city came up with a pretty bold plan, and I don't know if everyone thought they could pull it off," said Chip Bottone, CEO of Danbury-based FuelCell Energy, which manufactured the Bridgeport facilities. "But the city stuck with it, and they were very easy to do business with." The 14.9 megawatt fuel cell facility languished for years under a state renewable energy program called Project 100 that never fully realized its goals. Finch, who was in the state senate at the time the fuel cell project was proposed, saw that at least that aspect of the state program was realized after he became mayor. "It is making use of the land, it is creating a tax base, and it is part of the mayor's larger vision for an eco-in- dustrial park," said Kevin Hennessey, director of govern- ment affairs for Virginia energy giant Dominion, which Green Tip: use natural landscapes in your office, as they increase productivity and creativity. Bridgeport Recycling Initiative inFo: Bridgeport instituted single-stream recycling in 2011 in order to increase the recycling rate of the city, particularly in the East Side and East End neighborhoods. Cost: $1.5 million Tip Fee Savings: $130,000 annually increased recycling revenues: $100,000 annually Savings on private Hauler Contracts: $160,000 annually payback: 3.8 years The nine-acre landfill adjacent to Seaside Park will be home to the Green Energy Park. The Connecticut Siting Council will have a hearing Sept. 11 to discuss the power generation plans. phoTo | pABLo RoBLES Finch expounds on nature's beauty with passers-by during a stroll at Bridgeport's Seaside Park. PhoTo | PaBlo roBles