BLOGS

Slow and steady wins the race. It also tests patience. We reported back last quarter that we had finally received our building permit, which triggered the next steps: finalizing our Redevelopment Agreement (RDA) with the City of Chicago and repricing the project with our contractors. We know what we did this summer: spend a lot of time dealing with paperwork! Since we are receiving a significant portion of our funds from the city, we are required to enter into an agreement s

Well, we knew this renovation project would take a long time, but we didn't know how long! The process of renovating a 1908 firehouse turns out to be a big challenge for a renovation project. After more than 9 months of back-and-forth revisions, we have a permit! Permitting process We actually started the permitting process near the end of 2023 by drawing up designs and going through a "pre-review" process with the City of Chicago Department of Buildings. Ironically, one of o

Change is the one constant nowadays! It's hard to believe we are finally on the brink of big renovations at The Firehouse. While we are still waiting for the final permit approval (and doing a final fundraising push), we are keeping busy with all sorts of preparations and mini-renovations. Since work will be taking place all over the building in various stages, we are moving things around and doing smaller renovations to prepare for some of the bigger things to come. With the

A brief overview of Plant Chicago's renovation plans for The Firehouse

Plant Chicago’s solar array was installed on the roof of The Firehouse and brought online in February of 2022. We now have a full year of data to review! Before we could install the system, we had to replace and insulate our roof. We don't know if the roof had ever been insulated (it is a 1908 firehouse after all), but we do know that adding insulation was one of the best ways to increase the energy efficiency of the building. The majority of heat transfer in buildings is th

On Tuesday, May 2nd, the City of Chicago announced the finalists for the Spring 2023 round of Economic Development Grants and a stunning $54 million was pledged to 133 projects across the city! Plant Chicago was selected as an finalist for the first ever Climate Infrastructure Fund awards! I had the immense honor of being selected as one of two chosen speakers out of over 130 nonprofit organizations and small businesses in attendance at the Cultural Center. Below are my rema

Please join us along with panelists Vanessa Perkins of Community Charging Initiative, William Truesdell, EVMatch Sales and Marketing Manager, John Mulrow, Postdoctoral Fellow: Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, and moderator Jonathan Pereira, Plant Chicago Executive Director for a roundtable discussion to more fully explore the nuances of the subject! This virtual event will be held August 19th, 12:00PM - 1:00PM and is free to attend and o