John Edel is in the process of creating Chicago's first vertical farm. (Photo by Troy T Heinzeroth)
John Edel is planning to grow food in this neat old Chicago Building. See where he plans to grow it inside of the building in this Flickr slideshow. Read about his background and how he plans to do it in the article following.
I love old buildings like this and hope that CuGreen lives in one of them in the future.
After success with industrial space, designer plans urban farm
Industrial designer and green enthusiast John Edel has a vision of reinventing old buildings for innovative uses. By focusing on buildings in the Bridgeport and Back of the Yards neighborhoods, he has turned much of that vision into reality.
Eight years ago, Edel purchased an abandoned industrial building and turned it into a sustainable, energy efficient space he named the Chicago Sustainable Manufacturing Center. Run by Edel’s company, Bubbly Dynamics, the three story, 24,000 square foot facility has been fully leased for the last two and a half years—despite the recession — and has a waiting list. Among the 16 tenants are a screen printer, a metal finisher, and an artist.
The project took a few years to get rolling. He bought the building at 1048 W. 37th St. in Bridgeport in 2002 and completely revamped the space, using recycled and salvaged materials. Then he got stuck in legal battles with the City and other business owners over a water main, but things eventually worked out and he was able to move forward.
Comments