By Kathy Gottberg  (1/25/10)

 

            The GreenZone Grand Opening held in January showcased a complimentary blend of both green building renovation and green business.  The first of its kind, the GreenZone represents a shift in private property ownership and collective green business teamwork for the advancement of a green energy economy—in other words, a new sustainable way of doing business for the 21^st Century.

            One of the Ribbon Cutting highlights was a short speech by Buford Crites, the former Mayor of Palm Desert and considered by many to be the grandfather of “green” in the Coachella Valley.  Crites began by saying,  “It used to be that you succeed by not by convincing your opponents, but by outliving them.  But this (opening) is evidence that is not true any more.”  He continued with,  “This building is filled with things today, whether it’s the exhibits on agriculture, the exhibits on jobs, the exhibits on solar, and so on or so forth—things that 2 years ago, certainly 20 years ago, would have been extra-ordinary, today they are the reality.” In conclusion Crites said, “We live at ground zero of a remarkable revolution of how we live and how we serve our community.  There is no better place to be than our Coachella Valley.  It is the center linchpin of an economic future for us that will be bright—and be the continuation of being a great place to live, a great place to visit and a wonderful place to have your business.” 

            Also speaking at the Ribbon Cutting was the new Riverside County Supervisor John J. Benoit who reviewed a number of the impressive energy savings and eco-friendly features of the GreenZone building including 70 solar light tubes that allow the building to operate without traditional lighting during normal business hours.  Benoit also expressed admiration for the low and no VOC (volatile organic components) used in the building, the solar panels installed to offset energy costs and other sustainable equipment.

            Other speakers included Jim Ferguson, Palm Desert City Councilman, and Thom Gottberg from TG Commercial Real Estate who came up with the idea for the GreenZone, and handles leasing for the office and warehouse space within the building. As Gottberg stated, a central theme around the GreenZone has always been to, “ innovate, educate and collaborate.”

            The Green Product Expo featured a wide variety of products and elements working together to create the new green economy.  Exhibits featured everything from Burrtec Waste Management’s participation in all things environmental, to Caochella Valley Home Grown Direct, which offers a new locally grown fruits, and vegetable distribution system to neighborhood stores, restaurants, and even the public.  Green Guys Construction offered solutions to homeowners contemplating upgrades, while Plant It Earth Landscaping showcased recycled glass as a colorful cutting-edge solution to grassless yard-scape.   Energy efficient pool pumps, eco-friendly house cleaning service, smart energy management systems for home and business all added to the solutions and ideas offered throughout the exhibit area.

            Contributing to the multi-faceted benefits of the day were short presentations by a variety of business representatives.  The GreenTalks started out with an address by C. Mikel Oglsby of SunLine Transit who recounted the history and evolution of the Hydrogen Bus and the amazing progress that has been made to advance this field by our local agency.  Another avant-garde presentation was made by Nicolo Bini, who showed sample photos of his unique Binishell Designed Homes—over 1600 in 23 different countries—being built around the world.  Following each presentation, the audience was invited to ask questions and discover how the presented ideas could benefit their individual needs.

            Another promising element to the opening was the participation of large municipalities like Coachella Valley Water District, Burrtec Waste & Recycling and SunLine Transit Agency plus the small local business like GreenSwitch Energy Savings and Earthling Organics.  Even better was the supportive attendance of local green representatives like Michele Mician, Palm Springs Sustainability Manager, Larry Spicer, former Mayor and City Councilman of Indian Wells, Robert Edwards, Environmental Programs Coordinator from City of Indio, as well as numerous representatives from Palm Desert and other local cities and agencies.  The wide variety of those present showed that sustainability and the new green economy reaches across city boundaries and benefits every city and person across the valley.