The renovation of 71 E. Garfield in Midtown's Sugar Hill District is being celebrated with two free community events on June 16 and 17. On Wednesday, June 16, there will be workshops for those with an interest in environmental sustainability and green building construction, and the official ribbon cutting will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 17.
After being vacant for decades, 71 E. Garfield will now be home to 30 units of live/work space for artists with rent at $1.00 to $1.15 per square foot, including utilities (that means wireless Internet, too). Solar power, geothermal heating and cooling, and LED lighting are being employed to reduce energy consumption, and the building is on track to receive an Energy Star rating and Green Globes certification.
On June 17, there will be tours of the building from 3-8 p.m. and music by Alberta Adams and the Planet D Nonet at 8 p.m. One of the lofts will be a story room featuring memories and narratives from former residents of the Sugar Hill Arts District, which was a hub for music and art before Motown. At 6 p.m., Jim Gallert, co-author of
Music Before Motown, will give a PowerPoint presentation about the history of the district.
Read more about the building and its green energy systems
here.
Source: Diane Van Buren, 71 E. Garfield
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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