Sections

Neighborhoods

Features

Follow Us

NHI Newsletter

Some Favorite Sites

Government/ Community Links

Fuel Cell Arrives; Downtown Food Co-op Planned

by Paul Bass | May 28, 2010 2:27 pm

(28) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Business/Labor/ Economic Development, Environment, Food, Downtown

Paul Bass Photo Crews in the Gulf of Mexico Friday continued to wrestle with the largest oil spill in U.S. history. Meanwhile, a 400-kilowatt fuel cell arrived in New Haven—destined to become the largest such stand-alone clean-energy generator in an apartment complex anywhere in the world.

Was it a transition to a more hopeful energy future?

That was the hope of people gathered in downtown’s Pitkin Plaza Friday for a festive “Fuel Cell Arrival Ceremony.”

They watched as a crane and a crew from Smedley Crane & Rigging lifted the trailer-sized metal contraption from a truck to the first floor of 360 State Street, the 700,000-square-foot, 33-story commercial-residential complex about to open (in August) at State, Chapel and Orange streets.

Also Friday, the developer of 360 State—Bruce Becker—revealed plans for a new block-long downtown grocery store. He said the for-profit “hybrid” market (selling both natural foods and mainstream products) will occupy about 12,000 square feet fronting Chapel Street on the project’s ground floor, perhaps as soon as the year’s end. Tentative title: the Elm City Food Co-op. (More about that later in this article.)

Publicly, Friday’s event was all about the fuel cell—and the energy future of cities and the country.

“I doubt any fuel cell on this planet has been so eagerly awaited,” Bruce Becker (told) told the gathering of movers and shakers assembled in the plaza. “This is the world’s largest fuel cell in any residential building. We’re making history today.”

“Only by changing ... the way we build, the way we generate power” can we start to live more sustainably as a society, Becker argued.

Becker’s firm, Becker & Becker, is spending close to $4 million to purchase and install the fuel cell, which takes in natural gas, removes hydrogen, then strips electrons from the hydrogen atoms to create electricity. It will provide “nearly” 100 percent of the electricity for the complex’s 500 apartments and its stores and common areas. It will heat the building’s water, including in the swimming pool. UTC Power, a South Windsor-based United Technologies subsidiary, manufactured the fuel cell.

The fuel cell accomplishes goals sought by many people concerned about climate change, foreign wars, or the high cost of energy. It doesn’t burn fossil fuels—which pollute, and make the country dependent on foreign governments or offshore drilling in this country. It’s far cheaper than conventional energy sources, and not reliant on wind or sun, like other alternative sources. And it’s located on-site, unconnected to a grid; energy grids could increasingly become targets of terrorists or foreign governments engaged in cyberwarfare (such as may have occurred already in Estonia).

The amount of energy saved each year by 360 State’s fuel cell is predicted to be equal to planting of 178 acres of trees and taking 100 cars off the road, according to UTC Power Vice-President Mike Brown.

The big metal box provides a hopeful antidote to the image of the blackened life-strangling waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Lisa Dondy (at center in photo, watching the fuel cell arrive) said at Friday’s event. She runs the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, which supports alternative-energy projects; it paid half the cost of 360 State’s fuel cell. It has helped install 13 other fuel cells to buildings in the state, including New Haven’s Peabody Museum and Water Pollution Control Authority. The city plans to power the new Hill Central School building with one too.

“As we watch these horrible pictures coming out of the Gulf,” Dondy said, we ask, “what are the alternatives?”

Joni Mitchell Revisited

We ask that question about the development of cities, too, Bruce Becker said. And a fuel cell-powered, dense downtown complex helps provide one of the answers there, too.

He invoked Joni Mitchell’s class song, “Big Yellow Taxi”—and its refrain about how “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”

In New Haven they knocked down the old Shartenberg department store in 1962, paved the land, and put up a parking lot, Becker noted.

Forty-eight years later he’s putting new stores homes for 1,000 people and new stores, replacing that parking lot with a busy new community, he said. With special attention to the environment: a “green” roof, bike storage, electric car charging station, remote-adjustable thermostats, proximity to a train station and bus lines, and with LEED certification. (For an alternate view, click here and scroll down to read one local preservationist’s skepticism about the project’s environmental impact.)

“Some day they might say of us: They razed a parking lot and put up a paradise,” Becker declared. Where people walk and use mass transit, and live, work, play, and shop in the hearts of cities.

Food Co-op Return?

Right now people don’t shop for most of their groceries in the center of New Haven. Especially since Shaw’s closed its doors.

For two years Becker has tried to interest a national chain in locating a supermarket on 360 State’s first floor. No luck.

Friday he spoke of an alternative plan that’s far further along than most people realized: The launch of a community-run food coop in that space instead.

The co-op will have close to 12,000 of floor space free of columns for its main retail area, Becker said. It’ll have another up to 12,000 of space for buyers and other backroom functions. That means it will have about double the space of a Trader Joe’s, but less space than a Shaw’s.

He’s been working on the financing to launch the co-op. And he has formed a board with representatives of local not-for-profits to run it. He wouldn’t identify the participants yet, but said he’s been working with City Seed.

He called it a “hybrid” because it will serve two masters: the healthful food market, and the everyday mainstream groceries most people buy, too. It will have 200 vendors and bulk foods, organic foods, local produce, he said. And it will have meat, fish, and Campbell’s soup.

“If you want a box of Wheaties, you can have that. If you want bulk oatmeal, you can that as well,” he said.

The model is Burlington, Vermont’s City Market.

You can be a member of the co-op, but won’t need to be one in order to shop, Becker said. And members don’t have to put in work hours at the co-op.

In that way, the co-op will differ considerably from New Haven’s last food co-op, which started in Kimberly Square in the 1970s and grew to occupy a Whalley Avenue supermarket space before closing in the 1980s. (The space now houses Minore’s market.)

Becker’s team has already completed architectural renderings for the co-op and begun advertising for a general manager. Click here to view the floor plan.

Urban downtowns aren’t built for traditional suburban-style sprawling markets; Becker said he’s hoping to tailor New Haven’s co-op to its environment. He also said that he’s tested out bringing 54-foot grocery delivery trucks through 360 State’s $4 million underground loading dock. He said the drivers can back in on one try.

Share this story with others.

Share |

Post a Comment

Comments

posted by: Bruce on May 28, 2010  2:44pm

Great news.  This sounds like an excellent application for a fuel cell—putting the waste heat to good use (that is, if you consider a swimming pool a necessity).  I should note, though, that while this fuel cell does not “burn” fossil fuels, it does consume fossil fuels.  Natural gas doesn’t grow on trees.

posted by: Ben Berkowitz on May 28, 2010  3:59pm

Awesome!
This project just keeps getting better. Thanks for being a good neighbor.

posted by: HewNaven?? on May 28, 2010  4:41pm

Thanks, Bruce. I was going to point out that fact about Natural Gas: It’s definitely not a sustainable way of producing energy. It’s a finite resource, like oil. Maybe not as dirty and deadly, but still. If we’ve learned anything from “the oil age” it should be not to chase after finite resources too much. It’s a race to the bottom.

Also, until we start producing all of our food in New Haven - by converting empty lots into urban farms, constructing greenhouses and cold houses, re-introducing native, edible plants (like hazelnut) - we are still no where near being sustainable. I’m sorry, but backing 54-foot trucks into your building to deliver the food is not sustainable. That requires a lot of energy.

That being said, this project is still pretty awesome!

posted by: Steve B on May 28, 2010  4:51pm

Nice to see that this parking garage with a building attached to it might have at least one redeeming quality. The question is, will the building lift up Chapel Street or will Chapel Street bring down the building.

Only time will tell.

posted by: ignoranceisbliss on May 28, 2010  4:54pm

Wait a minute….wasn’t this the emblem of the corruption of the DeStefano administration and his rubber stamp allies on the Board of Alderman? After all the City “gave away” the property for just $1 in exchange for a bunch of empty promises like a commitment to clean and efficient energy and a healthy food store. Next thing you know Becker will be providing the affordable housing he committed to and paying over a $1 million in property taxes. And DeStefano thought he could hide his dirty little deal with Becker in the shadows! Thank goodness for the NHI!

posted by: Threefifths on May 28, 2010  5:20pm

Food Co-op Return?

I hope this will not be the end for edge of the woods.It is already bad the whole food is taking a lot of his base and now this.

posted by: Noelle Shipley on May 28, 2010  5:34pm

When will we be able to buy shares in the co-op?  This is fantastic!

posted by: i just love a greek salad on May 28, 2010  5:57pm

This is a nice development….
I have spent a lot of time in Burlington and shop at City Market and I just don’t see this working.  New Haven is NOT Burlington, but one never knows does one.
As a matter of fact, I am moving to the Burlington area in light of last evenings BOA approval - this has been planned for awhile

posted by: Gretchen Pritchard on May 28, 2010  6:42pm

It’s hardly surprising that food delivery trucks will be able to back in.  After all, if people are going to move into the apartments, there will be ocean-liner-sized moving vans using those loading docks.

posted by: Greg on May 28, 2010  7:31pm

Food Co-op, eh?  I like where this is going.

posted by: streever on May 28, 2010  8:55pm

Becker! Awesome. Thank you for working on this and not just putting in whoever you got.

posted by: real irony on May 28, 2010  11:29pm

This fuel cell transforms methane into electrical and heat energy. To say it is an alternative to oil is disingenuous. Connecticut gets a portion of its natural gas from pipelines that come from Louisiana. Guess where that gas comes from? Drilling rigs in the gulf.

I remain doubtful of the merits of fuel cells for energy production. Most fuel cells run on hydrogen, which is most economical to produce from methane and other light hydrocarbons. Isn’t it more efficient to burn these gaseous hydrocarbons in a co-generation plant? The only emission should be carbon dioxide, which is also produced when converting methane to hydrogen. Why this middle man?

posted by: BCJ on May 29, 2010  5:29am

Two points. One, Becker’s fuel cell was half-paid for by UI & CL&P ratepayers. The story says CEF paid, but CEF gets all its money from a charge on your electric bill.
Two, fuel cells are “the idea of the future and always will be.” Prior comments are correct—- they DEPLETE fossil resources. They are defined as “green” in Connecticut, sure, but that is an economic development boondoggle, not an environmental gesture.

posted by: john on May 29, 2010  8:46am

the harvest food coop in jamaica plain, boston and / cambridge (MA) was one of my favorite places in the city. the fact that it was a coop created real, meaningful interaction among different racial and socioeconomic groups that is severely lacking here. i understand the concern about e-o-t-w, but their location remains ideal for people who commute out to westville via whalley, when not struggling with the insanely timed traffic lights.

posted by: Bubba on May 29, 2010  10:51am

“not-for-profit “hybrid” market”

Yea, that’s destined to fail.  Hello, New Haven isn’t Burlington, Vermont.

Start placing your bets now.

posted by: Jonathan Hopkins on May 29, 2010  2:48pm

3/5s,
I may understand this wrong, but when Edge of the Woods expanded and moved from Edgewood Avenue to Whalley, didn’t it contribute a lot to the demise of the old coop food mart that was located at today’s Minore’s? I think people have already shown that they would rather spend their money at Edge of the Woods, so I would worry about the food coop first.

HewNaven,
I am less enthusiastic about community gardens and urban farming in empty lots, in place of housing than I am about rural agriculture replacing many of the suburban subdivisions surrounding New Haven. The great thing about most New Haven property lines is that they create long, narrow lots with about 60% of the land left open, which can easily be used for private food gardens or shared food gardens amongst a series of neighbors. I think it is better to encourage better use of yards then to consolidate a blocks-worth of gardening to one vacant lot while maintaining seas of grass on individuals properties. In the coming decades we will see urban economies shift to being largely agriculturally based, but this does not mean that density has to be sacrificed, it just means increasingly more efficient use of land as density decreases is needed, so that larger lots provide more food production while smaller lots do their part by living compactly and they may also have window boxes, green roofs and porch planters.

posted by: Threefifths on May 29, 2010  9:40pm

posted by: Jonathan Hopkins on May 29, 2010 2:48pm

3/5s,
I may understand this wrong, but when Edge of the Woods expanded and moved from Edgewood Avenue to Whalley, didn’t it contribute a lot to the demise of the old coop food mart that was located at today’s Minore’s? I think people have already shown that they would rather spend their money at Edge of the Woods, so I would worry about the food coop first.

I had no idea that they had a food coop before edge of the woods expanded due to the fact that when I moved here all I know was edge of the woods. I know about food coops because when I was in new york my family used to own property in park slope and they have a food coop there call park slope food coop.

http://foodcoop.com/


And they are getting ready to open one in Clinton Hill/Fort Greene section of brooklyn.

http://www.greenehillfoodcoop.com/

But the good thing about these two food coop is that they have no affect on the other foos stores in the area.But from what I hear is that wholefoods is cuting into to edge of the wood base. So If that coop does come here no doubt it will cut into edge of the wood base.
As far as community gardens and urban farming I seen it work in new york. So why not gave it a try here.


[Editor’s Note: The old food co-op closed years before Edge of the Woods moved.]

posted by: kip on May 29, 2010  10:34pm

Well if the soil is being turned that’s great.  I hope that we don’t have too many cloudy days to ruin our horticulture plans, unless there is a silver lining.

posted by: Brian V on May 31, 2010  10:12am

To ignoranceisbliss:

-Yes, the Becker building is a big plus for New Haven.
-NO, Long Gone John does not deserve any of the credit. He can show up with a shovel and hard hat and pretend this has everything to do with him, like the cancer center he delayed. Nice try but private money built this property, not Long Gone John.
-And, Do you think Becker would have decided to build if he had to pay $.5-1M for the property or a little less in tax deferments or a little more in permitting? My guess is, yes, but there are no negotiations when Johnny wants something. Like Union support for his governor’s race OR a tax stream from PSEG generators OR support for Tweed or…
-If you credit Long Gone John with this; who do you blame for holding up the development of Mid-Block?  The owner?

-The King is Dead, long live the King.

posted by: L on May 31, 2010  3:53pm

Thank you, god, thank you god. I can’t express how excited and happy I am. I have tears in my normally stoic eyes. This is great news.

posted by: HewNaven?? on May 31, 2010  5:36pm

Jonathan Hopkins,

I am less enthusiastic about maintaining density on a block of people who don’t know how to feed themselves than I am about using one or two lots on that block to teach them.

I’m sorry I left out using your own yard to garden (instead of raising grass) and yard-sharing of which I am a vocal proponent. Of course, those are the most obvious solutions and don’t involve the government at all. Also, they mostly involve people who already know what they’re doing. The idea of a block or community garden is to give people who don’t know what they’re doing an opportunity to learn how to grow their own food, and also provide the space for those who might not have any yard at all.

But, you’re suggestions are perfectly good for homeowners with big sunny yards. Thanks.

posted by: real irony on May 31, 2010  11:36pm

I’m just saying there’s no reason to tout fuel cells as independence from oil drilling. I am glad that 360 state street is moving ahead, and applaud Becker’s vision, not the mayor’s.

posted by: Bill Saunders on June 1, 2010  3:54am

Hooray for Private Development!!!!!
(three schools worth, taxpayers?)

ps.  I met Mr. Becker recently.  He came across as Open & Genuine.
Can’t say that about John, who continues to hide when he sees me.

One day, in recent history, circumstance reared its ugly head—I was exiting City Hall at the same time King John was entering (through the same door).  Turning away, he awkwardly smashed his body into the open door in a vain attempt to avoid detection.

“Heeeey”,  I said. 
“oh, hi”, he cowered.

Now That’s Great leadership!!!!!!!
Let’s re-elect him again and again and again…........

posted by: tom reddoch on June 1, 2010  8:21am

I think the co-op idea is great. I hope it works.  I was just in the Brattleboro co-op over the weekend (thought the co-op was to be modeled after the one in Brattleboro, not Burlington, though my guess is they are similar).  It was great.  Kind of like a downscale Whole Food. But of course owned by the people who shop there, not some corporation owned by someone who doesn’t support healthcare reform.  I really hope this is sustainable.

posted by: Joshua Brau on June 1, 2010  10:25am

I’m working with Becker + Becker on the development of the grocery co-op and want to respond to some of the questions/misconceptions about the business in the comments section:

1. The co-op will not be a not-for-profit. The article above was corrected to reflect the fact that while the store will be owned by the community, it will operate with the intention of being a sustainable, profitable business.

2. Shares in the co-op will be available on an ongoing basis once the final stage of development begins.

Please feel free to contact me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with any questions.

posted by: Jason S. on June 1, 2010  12:25pm

Where does the carbon from the natural gas (i.e., methane) go? Is it sequestered?

Thank goodness downtown New Haven will *finally* have a grocery option.  The food situation at present is dire.  I just hope, as other posters have mentioned, that it doesn’t hurt business at Edge of the Woods, which is a local jewel.

posted by: abg on June 4, 2010  12:17pm

Granted, fuel cells do not score high on a measure of EROEI, energy return on energy invested, because of the large amount of energy needed to produce hydrogen, which does not occur naturally.  Until there is a more efficient way to produce hydrogen, fuel cells will not help wean us off fossil fuels. However they do represent a step in the right direction in terms of the decentralization of our energy infrastructure. Distributed generation reduces the amount of energy lost in transmitting electricity because the electricity is generated very near where it is used (in this case in the same building). This also reduces the size and number of power lines that must be constructed. Economic and environmental challenges like peak oil and climate change will require a more decentralized energy infrastructure in the not-so-distant future.

There is an interesting discussion of fuel cells in chapter 3 of Paul Roberts’s masterful book “The End of Oil,” in which Roberts explains how the development of fuel cell technology bears a passing resemblance to the purposefully stunted development of the electric car (memorably depicted in “Who Killed the Electric Car”). Just as evolution of the battery electric vehicle was dragged down in part by the big auto-makers looking to make huge and ultimately very short-lived profits on SUVs, oil companies conspired to derail research on the proton exchange membrane compact fuel cell, to help create the political conditions for more offshore drilling, drilling in ANWR, etc. Thanks, BP - keep up the good work!

posted by: Joe on June 18, 2010  1:10pm

For those of us who like to live “green”, and who live in downtown New Haven, a food co-op is a great idea.  It would be nice to WALK to the grocery store, instead of having to take a car.  Sign me up.

get ANDI

Events Calendar

loading…

SeeClickFix »

Pickup blows through light.
May 22, 2012 10:08 am
Address: North Frontage And Dwight New Haven, CT
Rating: 1

Watch the video:...

more »
Timing Off
May 22, 2012 9:26 am
Address: 152 Bassett Street New Haven, CT
Rating: 2

The light on Bassett Street at Shelton Avenue is unbelievably slow. When there's no traffic...

more »

Flyerboard

Sponsors

N.H.I. Site Design & Development

smartpill design