WWW.CLEANENERGYRESOURCETEAMS.ORG helping Minnesota communities determine their energy future CASE STUDY: Energy Efficiency — Central Region Park Rapids Armory Restoration Turns Eyesore into Revitalization Project By Jenna Lewein, CERTs Research Assistant • April 2012 To transform an aging building into a modern, energy efficient community space is a challenge that would intimidate many, but for the City of Park Rapids, MN it was seen as an opportunity. Collaboration between the City of Park Rapids Economic Development Authority and The Hubbard County Regional Economic Development Commission resulted in the move to turn the crumbling but historically important Park Rapids Armory into the centerpiece of the community. A local developer, Echopoint Design and Development, was brought in to manage the project. The Old Armory The project was broken up into two phases: The first phase, which ran from 2009 to 2011, focused on project planning, installing a storm water abatement system, and improving energy efficiency and building accessibility. Clean-up was also a huge part of the first phase because the building housed abandoned storage tanks, asbestos, layers of lead paint and PCBs that posed a huge threat to human health and the environment. In order to determine the best way to address the armory’s energy efficiency issues, Park Rapids sought to conduct a feasibility study. They applied and received a $7,000 grant from the Central Clean Energy Resource Team (CERT) for the study. From January 2010 to April 2010, Park Rapids armory’s current condition was documented and energy audits and historical assessments were conducted. All the possible ideas for restoring the building were debated and an action plan was hammered out. The planning included the Park Rapid’s City Administrator, Bill Smith and the project’s managing partner Alan Zemek, along with five other consult- ants who represented a number of disciplines: construction, power systems, design, and health and safety. The final plans were approved by the Park Rapids City Council in 2009, which allowed the project to apply for more grants to help with the restoration of the Armory. According to Alan Zemek, the armory project manager, a successful rehabilitation project requires the integration of energy management systems, weatherization, heating & cooling zoning, peak load energy management, on-site generation of renew- able energy, and off-peak energy storage technology. The money that the project requested from the Central CERT for its feasibility study was something that the project needed to move forward. He explained that “a comprehensive study that integrates all of the methods that are available for generation of renewal energy on site, as well as energy management systems into an actionable plan, will help the redevelopment process.” Project Snapshot Total Project Cost: $15,000 CERTs Funding: $7,000 Anticipated Fuel Savings per year: 8,115 gals/fuel oil Anticipated Wattage Savings per year: 17,162 watts Benefits: The creation of retail and living space for Park Rapids residents and a showcase for urban revitalization The old boiler in the Park Rapids Armory CERTs PARTNERS University of Minnesota Extension and Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships Eureka Recycling Southwest Regional Development Commission The Minnesota Project Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources