USGBC Natural Talent Design Competition 2009 - Upstate New York Chapter

The .86 acre building site is located on the corner of West Street and Erie Boulevard in Syracuse, New York, containing a series of five buildings. The first three buildings, starting at the corner of Plum Street and Erie Boulevard are: a three story, 15,000 SF building; a two story, 8,800 SF building; and a two story, 9,000 SF building.

The second two buildings are warehouse towers. The specs are as follows: one 7 story warehouse, plus a full basement, each floor being approximately 6,000 SF; and one 7 story warehouse, plus a full basement, each floor being approximately 8,300 SF. The roofs of the warehouses are poured concrete, and each floor is load bearing, making the warehouse buildings structurally sound. They have been assessed to ensure their structural integrity.

This row of five contiguous buildings will be utilized as mixed-use office space, training classrooms and workshop space, retail space, and small green business incubation by a cooperative of socio-ecologically minded for and non-profit entities.

The members/tenants are:

1. The Alchemical Nursery Project: a non-profit organization committed to promoting the development of sustainable urban lifestyles and landscapes. In the Community Exchange, the ANP will coordinate an urban CSA (community supported agriculture) processing and distribution center, as well as food preservation and processing programs, and a kombucha brewery.
2. Deconstruction Syracuse: a collaborative effort between The Alchemical Nursery Project, Onondaga Community College, and Syracuse Habitat for Humanity, the deconstruction operations will provide jobs training in the warehouse, and transportation to and from the job sites for the deconstruction crews. All saleable materials gleaned from job sites will be sold in the ReStore.
3. Onondaga Community College: as an exciting new offshoot in technical training programs, OCC is pioneering the fledgling deconstruction industry. OCC will run the training programming for the deconstruction crews in the Community Exchange a strategically located off-site location in downtown Syracuse.
4. Recycling for Empowerment E-waste for E-ducation: an organization that will use electronic waste in training local high-schoolers interested in pursuing a career in information technology. Recovered electronic components can be used to rebuild computers for resale or donation. E3 will operate the jobs training and youth mentorship end of the e-waste programming.
5. Northeast Surplus & Materials: a company working with e-waste for the purposes of innovation, recycling, and reuse, utilizing de-manufacturing and recycling processes to minimize, reduce and finally eliminate the environmental impact caused by the disposal of electronic equipment. Northeast Surplus & Materials will operate the innovation end of the e-waste recycling programming.
6. Ombligo: a company that refurbishes laptops and computers using e-waste for resale at low prices. Ombligo will operate the resale end of the e-waste programming.
7. Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Habitat for Humanity of Syracuse already has a location for their ReStore, but they are quickly outgrowing their space. Their local deconstruction crew guts houses in the area, taking all saleable components such as cabinetry, tiling, sinks and tubs, appliances, lighting, and architectural features to the ReStore for resale to the general public. The ReStore also receives donations of materials from various companies, usually in large quantities. There is need for additional storage space and a more visible storefront space.
8. Reuse Refuse For Art (R2ART): an artist’s resource reclamation project where industrial cast-offs and other materials are stored for the future use of teachers, artists, organizations, and others.

The Community Exchange will operate as a cooperative of a number of non-profit and for-profit enterprises, all dedicated to reuse, recycling, green jobs creation and small business incubation. This centrally and strategically located series of buildings will serve as a major driver for a new green economy based on environmental stewardship and the integration of socially equitable practices.

Members/tenants will meet with design teams to give more detailed information on their specific spaces at the local Emerging Green Builders Natural Talent Design Competition kick-off open house and walkthrough at the warehouse, January 30 and 31, 2009. See competition schedule for more details.

** If you have any questions for a specific organization, please contact Elizabeth Slate at [email protected], and she will be able to connect you with the appropriate contact.

Brief (PDF)