World’s Largest Rooftop Farm Planned for Brooklyn
NEW YORK, NY,
Mar 29, 2012 from brightfarms.com – A multi-acre farm will be
built on 100,000 square feet of rooftop space in Brooklyn’s Sunset
Park—the largest rooftop farm in the world.
The
state-of-the-art, hydroponic greenhouse is being built by BrightFarms Inc in partnership with Salmar Properties LLC.
The farm will grow up to 1 million pounds of local produce per year,
including tomatoes, lettuces and herbs, which will cultivate a new
national model for urban agriculture.
The rooftop farm will be built on Federal Building #2, renamed
Liberty View Industrial Plaza, an 8-story 1.1 million-square-foot
warehouse building. Salmar Properties’ redevelopment of the building,
coupled with BrightFarms’ visionary rooftop design, is part of the
Bloomberg administration’s plan to revitalize Brooklyn’s industrial
waterfront.
The rooftop farm will both help revitalize the building and
revolutionize local produce. It will grow enough crops to meet the fresh
vegetable consumption needs of up to 5,000 New Yorkers, create jobs,
and prevent as much as 1.8 million gallons of storm water from going
into local waterways. By eliminating the length and complexity of the
produce supply chain, this farm will grow produce that is fresher,
tastier, and more sustainable than produce shipped across the country.
Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz
says “This partnership and zoning initiative set an example for the
nation on how to embrace rooftop urban agriculture.” The Borough
President has long been supportive of zoning creativity to maximize
potential for greenhouse farms citywide, which is about to bear fruit in
Brooklyn.
“I am so pleased that the revitalization of Federal Building #2 is continuing,” says Congressman Jerrold Nadler.
“As we watch this once-dormant industrial space recreated as a variety
of innovative and productive uses, we can take great pride in the years
of work and vision required to come to this point. This site is truly
becoming a part of Brooklyn’s working waterfront once again. I look
forward to tasting the first tomatoes and lettuce grown on its roof.”
“The partnership between BrightFarms and Salmar Properties to build
the world’s largest rooftop farm is an exciting new model for
sustainable, urban agriculture,” says New York City Council Speaker, Christine C Quinn.
“The farm will contribute meaningfully to the mission of FoodWorks, my
vision to improve NYC’s food system by dramatically increasing local
food production while positively affecting public health, the economy,
and the environment.”
“As a New York-based company, we are thrilled to demonstrate the
significant role that cities can play in meeting the nation’s insatiable
demand for sustainable, local produce,” says BrightFarms CEO Paul Lightfoot.
“Our mission is to increase the availability of locally grown produce
nationwide; building the world’s largest rooftop farm is a huge step
towards our goal.”
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will announce the
partnership between Salmar and BrightFarms on April 5, 2012, at a
celebration of Brooklyn local food. The celebration will be co-hosted by
New York Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Chef Mario Batali, Former Chairman of A&P Christian Haub, and Food, Inc. Director Robert Kenner.
About BrightFarms
BrightFarms grows local produce, nationwide. By financing, building,
and managing greenhouse farms at or near grocery retailers, BrightFarms
eliminates time, distance, and costs from the produce supply chain.
BrightFarms local produce is fresher, more flavorful, and better for the
environment, enabling grocers to change their produce supply chain in a
way that improves the planet and their profits.
About Salmar Properties
Salmar Properties LLC is redeveloping the Liberty View Industrial Plaza (LVIP)
as part of a major urban industrial redevelopment project backed by New
York City and the local community. Salmar will convert the presently
unutilized, historic building, into a light manufacturing facility. The
project will be a catalyst for transforming Sunset Park into a vibrant
industrial neighborhood.
