Ecology Action in the News
For Immediate Release
March 19, 2010
Contact
Bill Maxfield, (831) 227-6469
Sentinel Building to be Transformed into Ultra “Green,” High-Tech Center for Cruzio Internet, Ecology Action and Local Entrepreneurs
Building to include 24 gigabits of fiber bandwidth, 315 Mbps business-grade fixed-point wireless, rooftop solar, electric vehicle charging stations, rainwater catchment and on-site composting
DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ, CA—At a ceremony this morning at the Sentinel Building, the new owners of the building joined with community members to mark the start of renovations that will transform the former home of the Santa Cruz Sentinel into an ultra “green,” high-tech downtown center that will serve as the headquarters for owners Ecology Action and Cruzio Internet. Former Sentinel publisher Fred McPherson and editor Bruce McPherson, whose family owned the newspaper and built the building, and Santa Cruz City Council Member Cynthia Mathews, joined in celebrating the launch of the project.
“We’re very excited to be coming to the heart of downtown,” said Virginia Johnson, Executive Director/CEO of Ecology Action. “This building is a fantastic opportunity to truly demonstrate that green building and sustainable operations make sense for both the environment and the bottom line. Green technology and the jobs that support it are going to be the key to climbing out of the recession in California. We hope this project, and the unique partnership that supports it, can be a positive chapter in the recovery process.”
“For the first time, readily-available fiber-optic Internet connectivity will be brought directly into downtown Santa Cruz,” said Peggy Dolgenos, CEO and Co-founder of Cruzio Internet. “We’ll be providing community-accessible bandwidth up to 24 Gbps—unparalleled anywhere else in Santa Cruz County. This will be an important benefit for entrepreneurs who choose to locate in the Sentinel Building and take advantage of opportunities provided by the co-working and multi-media conference rooms that will be available. This will also make the building an Internet Exchange Point (IXP), which will benefit the whole area.”
Designed to be a high-tech hub, the building will feature up to 24 gigabits of fiber bandwidth with a 315 megabits per second business-grade fixed-point wireless connection (expandable to 1Gbps and beyond); a state-of-the-art data center with 2-20 amp circuits per cabinet and full backup power; colocation and virtual private server services; on-site IT; and secure access via industry-standard RFID system.
As a model green office building for downtown Santa Cruz, project goals include seeking the highest level of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification possible. A summary of key green features includes:
Natural conditions
Large, operable windows and skylights
Preservation of the City’s oldest magnolia tree and mature redwood and avocado trees, as well as the addition of 12 new trees and numerous native plants as part of a drought tolerant landscape plan
Energy efficiency
Cool roof, window film & retractable awnings
R-19 wall & R-30 ceiling insulation
Low wattage fixtures, zone control HVAC distribution & programmable HVAC control system
Renewable energy
Rooftop solar electric panels and PVT hot water
Water conservation
Dual flush toilets & waterless urinals
Rainwater catchment & low-water landscaping with weather-controlled irrigation
Low-carbon commuting
Location near transit and city center
Indoor bike parking in the basement; covered outdoor bike racks; bike lockers; showers
Electric vehicle charging stations
Environmental protection
Limited night-time light pollution
On-site composting & on-site laundry to foster use of cloth rather than paper
Pesticide-free property maintenance & bio-swales in parking areas
Use of sustainable materials
Recycled, rapidly renewable and re-used materials used for construction
Existing materials preserved for reuse
Occupant health
Low/no emissions paints, adhesives, etc.
Drinking water filtration
Project Background
In September 2009, Cruzio Internet, Ecology Action, and Appenrodt Commercial Properties (www.newsentinelbuilding.com) purchased the 1.4 acre former home of the Santa Cruz Sentinel at 207 Church Street. Serving as headquarters for Cruzio Internet and Ecology Action, the historical hub of information for Santa Cruz will be transformed into a green, high-tech building featuring LEED certification, ultra high-speed fiber Internet, onsite parking and more. Project completion is expected Fall 2010.
The 42,000 square feet of above-ground space will be split almost evenly among the three owners. Cruzio will occupy the first and second floors on Church Street. Ecology Action will have the rest of the second floor, and the remainder of the first floor is available for sale or lease from Appenrodt Commercial Properties.
The building also includes an 11,000 sq. ft. basement that once housed the Sentinel’s archives. Potential uses of the basement include storage space for downtown merchants.
Cruzio’s space will house the company, as well as new co-working spaces that will utilize multi-gigabit broadband and offer access to a coffee bar and multi-media conference rooms. Ecology Action’s space will house all of the organization’s Santa Cruz County operations, ending a 3-year search for headquarters space. Appenrodt Commercial Properties is seeking suitable office or commercial occupants.
The main part of the building was constructed in 1966 as the headquarters for the Santa Cruz Sentinel and was occupied by the paper until 2007. The building housed the paper’s printing press in a room that features a 39-inch-thick concrete slab floor that is designed to “float” during an earthquake. As part of the renovation, the former 3-story press will be split into separate floors.
About Cruzio Internet (www.cruzio.com)
Established in 1989 in the garage of co-founders Peggy Dolgenos and Chris Neklason, Cruzio Internet has grown into Santa Cruz County's oldest and largest local Internet service provider. Cruzio offers high-speed wireless, DSL, email, Web site hosting, hands-on classes, computer care, in-store computer rentals and plans to bring in multi-gigabit fiber Internet, co-working and colocation by the end of 2010. Cruzio continues to win "Best Local Internet" every year in local reader polls and hosts cruzio.com, one of the most highly-trafficked Web sites in Santa Cruz County.
About Ecology Action (www.ecoact.org)
Ecology Action is an award-winning nonprofit environmental consultancy delivering cutting edge education services, technical assistance, and program implementation for initiatives that assist individuals, business and government to maximize environmental quality and community well being. Since 1970 Ecology Action has combined municipal, foundation, and private funding to establish cutting-edge conservation programs, prove their effectiveness financially and operationally, and establish each program as a permanent community resource.
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Program Contact
Anna Hirst
Ecology Action
Phone: 831.426.5925 ext. 120
Fax: 831.425.1404
Email
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