Green Park™ Announces the Launch of the City’s First Fully Automated Parking Facility
The Future of Car Parking Arrives in Bucktown
CHICAGO (June 25, 2010) – Parking cars in congested urban areas – even in conventional parking garages – can be a headache for many drivers and an environmental concern for everyone. The time consuming practice of circling city blocks or driving up and down garage ramps while searching for open parking spaces frustrates drivers, wastes gasoline and contributes to deteriorating air quality levels. For the Bucktown neighborhood, this situation is about to change.
VLF Development LLC announces the launch of Green Park™ Eco Garage – the city’s first automated parking facility. Green Park™ uses a patented, fully automatic parking system that takes the aggravation out of parking. Located in Chicago’s bustling Bucktown neighborhood at 1868 N. Milwaukee Avenue, this technologically advanced parking garage has been awarded its City of Chicago permit and begins construction next month, with the opening scheduled for July 2011. The facility will have space for more than 100 cars, which doubles the parking capacity over traditional garages and uses a land efficient building design that requires less space. An on-site attendant will provide customer assistance.
The facility is recognized as the nation’s first LEED Gold registered parking facility. Internationally recognized as the standard for building sustainability and environmental consciousness, a LEED Gold certification represents one of the highest levels of achievement. Vicki Fuller, CEO of VLF Development, said, “Green Park™ Eco Garage complements our company’s business approach of comprehensive urban development. In developing this parking facility, we wanted to address many of the concerns that drivers encounter using conventional parking garages. That is why it was developed with a mindset of safety, convenience, and environmental consciousness.”
As a LEED Gold registered parking facility, Green Park™ Eco Garage takes into account some of the most up-to-date technology and construction methods that contribute to its ‘green-friendliness,’ efficiency and cost effectiveness. Green Park™ Eco Garage will use recycled construction materials, purchase electrical power from renewable energy sources and install energy efficient exterior lighting that avoids contributing to light pollution.
A planted green roof adds to the sustainability of the site by collecting, filtering and slowly dissipating rainwater. Because it is fully automated, there is no need to heat, cool or light the building interior, except in the welcoming ground level receiving area. Emissions from cars have been completely eliminated, as cars are not driven to parking spaces. Instead, they are moved via a robotic system that uses only 125 amps of electricity with a natural gas backup generator.
Customer safety and convenience were major factors in the facility’s design. The entire system is monitored via video cameras from a centralized command center. Except for the driver, no human hands touch the car, which serves as a strong deterrent to vehicle damage, car break-ins or theft. Parking, retrieval and payment are all handled at street level in a secure receiving area. The entire parking and retrieval process takes about two minutes. And unlike metered street parking, drivers can leave their cars in the facility all day.
Once opened, VLF Development plans to introduce an innovative electronic network infrastructure that integrates with smart-phone technology and other enhanced communications tools, allowing drivers easy access to Green Park™’s reservation system. “I’m proud to support this one-of-a-kind project in the 1st Ward. It’s a great example of how sustainable developments can also be commercially viable,” said 1st Ward Alderman Proco “Joe” Moreno.
Fuller adds, “Green Park™ Eco Garage brings to Chicago’s vibrant Bucktown community a tried and tested parking solution that has been successfully used in cities in Europe, Asia, and the United States for 15 years. We believe that it represents the future of car parking.”
About VLF Development LLC
The only company authorized by the City of Chicago to build automatic parking facilities, VLF Development was established in 1991 as a family-managed concern. It is an umbrella company that incorporates real estate and urban planning in its business portfolio. Real estate projects include luxury single-family homes, condominium developments, land acquisition and commercial developments. As part of its comprehensive urban planning approach, VLF Development makes sure that its projects reflect a vibrant urban aesthetic that adds value to communities. Based in Chicago, the company plans to build additional ecologically friendly initiatives, such as the Green Park™ Eco Garage, in other Chicago communities.
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Document: Green Park/Media Relations/Chicago General Media
For more information contact:
Adorn Lewis-Mitchell,
Flowers Communications Group
312/228-8804
almitchell@flowerscomm.com
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