Energy efficiency takes center stage in Edington Center renovations

Duke Progress Energy reps, from left, Kevin Brock and Paula Clark, present an oversize energy rebate check to Asheville Housing Authority CEO Gene Bell, center, and Asheville Housing Authority Project Manager Samantha Bowers. A chalkboard from the building's former incarnation as the Livingston Street School can be seen in the background.

It pays to be energy efficient. That was a key message delivered last week during a check presentation to the Asheville Housing Authority from Duke Energy Progress.

Company officials presented an oversize rebate check (backed up by a real one) of $42,144 to the Housing Authority for installing a number of energy-efficiency features during the renovation of the Arthur R. Edington Education and Career Center (formerly the W.C. Reid Center) in the Southside neighborhood.

“This is one of the better things that’s happened since I’ve been in Asheville,” Asheville Housing Authority CEO Gene Bell said before the July 21 ceremony.

After Bell’s remarks and the check presentation, Project Manager Samantha Bowers led a tour of the renovated building, pointing out energy-saving features and other improvements to the 36,000-foot building on Livingston Street.

Those features include a geothermal heating and cooling system, its network of pipes buried 450 feet under the parking lot behind the center. The system — similar to one installed at the Asheville First Congregational United Church of Christ — is expected to save 30 to 40 percent in energy consumption, said Robert W. Wiggins Jr., president of Essential Systems Engineering in Asheville, which designed the building’s geothermal system and its mechanical and electrical systems.

Other green features included new restrooms with water conservation features, said John Legerton, president of Legerton Architecture in Asheville, the architects for the renovation. New windows (replacing the old glass-block ones) and energy-efficient lighting added to the renovations.

The building holds an important place in Asheville’s history, and particularly that of the city’s African-American community. Prior to integration, the Livingston Street School educated African-American students for decades; the existing building served as the school’s last home from the 1950s until 1969. After integration, the city of Asheville took over the building for use as a recreation center.

The Housing Authority purchased the center from the city in 2012. After a $5 million renovation, the building was dedicated last November as the Arthur R. Edington Education and Career Center, named for the last principal to head Livingston Street School, from 1960 to ’69, according to the Housing Authority.

“This building is a historical presence in the Southside community,” Bowers noted.
Its new name also reflects the building’s return to an educational focus.

“Asheville Housing and its community partners envision the center as a place where people from Asheville Housing communities and the surrounding neighborhoods will have access to education, job training, support services and other resources, strengthening residents’ self-sufficiency and empowerment,” the Housing Authority said in a press release.

In addition to Housing Authority offices, the building houses several community partners, including the nonprofit Green Opportunities, which offers job training and placement services to public housing residents and other low-income community members.

In fact, Green Opportunities was able to train and place a number of public-housing residents with contractors working on the renovation, said Josh LittleJohn, former GO project manager.

As the tour ended, several people who had worked on the building’s updates admired the end result and the hard work that went into it.

“It’s a wonderful contribution to this community,” offered Legerton.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

3 thoughts on “Energy efficiency takes center stage in Edington Center renovations

  1. ニューバランス1400 ネイビー,ニューバランス レディース 996,新商品!品質100%

    http://fryblova.batika-obrazy.cz/myanmarcycling/952c6-37222-66.htmlニューバランスシューズストア 送料,ニューバランス576 価格,2015激!安送料無料&高速配送!,ニューバランス1400 ネイビー
    ニューバランス1400 ネイビー,ニューバランス レディース 996,新商品!品質100% 保証第一最速商店,ニューバランス 人気 カラー http://fstreasures.com/myanmarcycling/a643a-07226-97.html

  2. ニューバランス 梨花 画像,アローズ ニューバランス 梨花,本物の卸売,ニュ

    http://tokuasia.com/myanmarcycling/88f73-87219-45.htmlューバランス 574 グリーン,ニューバランス 店舗 レディース,本物保証!超安い!毎日更新!半額多数!人気ある,ニューバランス メンズ ランキング
    ニューバランス 梨花 画像,アローズ ニューバランス 梨花,本物の卸売,ニューバランス 店舗 東京 http://plume-la.com/myanmarcycling/77dff-17215-16.html

  3. ニューバランススニーカー574,ニューバランスシューズ レディース,買う,ニ

    http://tokuasia.com/myanmarcycling/beae0-07232-139.htmlニューバランス 1300 gn,人気ニューバランススニーカー,即日発送,最安価格販売,価格メルトダウン,ニューバランス メンズ
    ニューバランススニーカー574,ニューバランスシューズ レディース,買う,ニューバランス 1300 ネイビー http://christopherwall.org/wp-content/newbalance/81a42-57218-34.html

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.