Community Corner

Turning Neighborhood Buildings Green

Local organization teams up with Living City Block to make homes energy efficient.

An energy efficient home is something many may want, but the process can be complicated and expensive. Luckily, organizations are sprouting up that want to save the environment while also helping the homeowner with costly energy bills.

The partnership between the local Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation and Denver-based environmental group Living City Block is one example of this trend.

Gowanus, which has been active in the community for more than 30 years, works on education, housing and environmental issues in the areas surrounding the Gowanus Canal. This project is something they see as important to the community's development.

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"People get really excited about making their homes energy efficient," said Managing Director David Krieger in an interview. "But at the end of the day you still need to take out a home equity loan."

With the partnership with Living City Block, Krieger said, the collective power of a community joined together will help to attain financing.

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The first step is to find homeowners who are interested in joining the project. Once enough buildings are on board, Living City Block comes in with a team and advises on how to retrofit the buildings and help find financing.

Though adjacent properties are highly desirable, and entire blocks even more so, pockets as well as single buildings all over the neighborhood are welcome to join. Gowanus will be holding information sessions in the near future and are interested in hearing from the community.

Last night at the group's board meeting, Krieger said homeowners were responding positively.

"Whenever you talk savings people are going to listen," he said.

Salvatore "Buddy" Scotto, a board member and life-long Carroll Gardens resident, volunteered seven buildings his family owns in the neighborhood, including Scotto Funeral Home on Court Street and 1st Place.

"If this can save energy, it will be a big plus for the community," he said in an interview. "It's important to make the neighborhood much more efficient."

Making buildings energy efficient is a popular idea, said Krieger, adding that positive discussions with the Mayor's office and National Grid had already occurred.

Board Chair Jean Austin sounded confident in the project.

"There are a lot of grants out there," she said. "First design the retrofit project, then look for funding."

Gowanus would like to include approximately 30 homes, but the bigger the block of housing, the better.


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