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One of the unknowns in the Renaissance Sqaure project was if and how much money the City would receive from a possible federal energy grant to apply to Renaissance Square. Â The answer is now known. Â The Fort Wayne portion of the press release is italicized below.
Press release from US Senator Bayh’s office:
Bayh announces $11 Million for Energy Efficiency Programs in Indiana
Will create green jobs in Bloomington, Fort Wayne and IndianapolisWashington – Senator Evan Bayh announced today that Indiana will receive more than $11 million to support energy efficiency and conservation projects in Bloomington, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. The Department of Energy grants, part of the federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, will help communities create green jobs, become more energy efficient and reduce local pollution.
“Reducing our cities’ energy consumption saves taxpayer dollars and helps create green jobs for Hoosiers,” Bayh said. “These critical infrastructure projects funded by economic recovery grants will provide long-term benefits to our communities, decrease our state’s dependence on foreign sources of energy, and help put Hoosiers back to work.”
Indianapolis will receive more than $8 million for projects to create new, green jobs and reduce energy consumption in the city, including installing 10,000 square feet of green roofs and at least 5,000 watts of solar power across the city’s parks buildings. Green roofs create significant energy savings by reducing the heating and cooling loads of buildings, while solar energy applications provide clean, renewable energy.
Indianapolis will also use the EECBG funding to implement two LED (light emitting diode) lighting retrofit projects at Monument Circle and Woodruff Place and upgrade three wastewater treatment plants.Fort Wayne will receive nearly $2.5 million to perform an energy efficiency retrofit of a building that will house multiple city offices, including the police department, city utilities, engineering and neighborhood code enforcement. The project is estimated to save Fort Wayne approximately $6 million annually in reduced energy costs and other operational savings.
Bloomington will receive $745,000 for energy efficiency retrofits of city buildings, including Showers City Hall, the Traffic Division facility, Bloomington Fire Headquarters and the SportsPlex facility, a city-owned community fitness center. EECBG funding will also be used to perform efficiency upgrades, which will lower energy consumption and costs for the community.
In addition, Porter County has been awarded $10,000 through the EECBG program.
Location / Amount
Bloomington – $745,000
Fort Wayne – $2,474,400
Indianapolis – $8,032,300
Porter County – $10,000
TOTAL – $11,261,700
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This is one of the most inappropriate uses of our federal tax revenue (that will be paid by our children and grandchildren) that I have heard of recently! Anyone who has been in this building should remember the large empty area in it’s center. This area acts like a large chimney drawing warm air up to the top and creating nightmares in heating and cooling control. $2.5 million dumped into that space will pay back in maybe 50 years! Normal for our federal government in recent years! It sure is easy to waste tax revenue, present or future. Way to go, Fort Wayne!! This will rank right up there with The Harrison condos.
The total energy bill wouldn’t even be $6 million/year so how in the world can we “save” that much? What am I missing?
Something else that’s interesting, is that I believe the City only asked for $1,237,200 originally. At least this was the amount given in Controller Pat Roller’s presentations earlier this summer. I do know the City will be pulling together some information and issuing a statement at some point either today or next week.
Jeff -They are including the rental payments to the county on the City/County Building as ” other operational savings” – having absolutely nothing to do with energy expenses! That’s the six sigma way of calculating savings in a governmental entity (More BS).