Living at the Grow Community is an experience. Learn about what the Grow homes are like, and then check out the section about our community.

Grow gets Slammed — but it’s cool!

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gbs-10x10x10-logo-300x212Ten projects. Ten slides. Ten minutes.

And one goal: to honor the very best in sustainable construction — like Grow Community.

We’re pleased to say that Grow is one of 10 projects asked to present at this year’s prestigious “Green Building Slam” at the University of Washington. Sponsored by the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild, the rapid-fire event showcases unique projects and new approaches to environmentally conscious construction.

Featured speaker will be Kathleen O’Brien, a nationally recognized leader in the field of sustainability as a writer, educator, strategic planner and project consultant for nearly 30 years.

The Green Building Slam event will be held from 5-10 p.m. Nov. 15 at UW’s Kane Hall, with presentations beginning at 6:30. Networking and goodies throughout.

We’re honored to be part this great event. We’ll gladly take the Slam!

More information here

A Construction Update for the Grove

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DCIM100MEDIAAs the kids head back to school and we are all enjoying those cool mornings and warm afternoons of Indian Summer, the work on the Grove – our next neighborhood at the Grow Community – is ramping up. The homes along John Adams have been decommissioned with materials recycled, donated to local “re-use” organizations, and salvaged prior to demolition. The site and utility work has begun in earnest with earth moving and excavating equipment on site and construction fencing in place to secure the perimeter of the property. It is a big project so we have had to get excavator hire mackay to make sure we stay on schedule. There will quite a few different contractors on the site in the coming weeks, from electricians to bricklayers to earthmovers so it’s important that the project remains coordinated as things can easily get out of hand at this point in a project.

The site and utility work will continue through the fall with the work on the underground parking garage overlapping by four to five weeks. The above ground structures will be the next major activity once the garage is well underway. We hope that the changes we are making will help shape and change the local area into an even better, more vibrant community. An exciting time for this next phase of the community!

If you are willing to donate some of your time then we would be more than grateful for anyone to come and help us out. Don’t worry, you don’t need any construction qualifications – we are looking to plant some shrubs and trees once work is finished to help bring more life to the area. Keep an eye out for further details!

Grow Community solar program highlighted in Kitsap Business Journal

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Grow Community’s groundbreaking solar program got some great press this week in a Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal feature. Read it here.

The KPBJ gives a comprehensive look at the incentives that make Washington solar such a great deal, using Grow Community as a case study. The journal highlights Blue Frog’s Solar’s Simple Solar program, which makes it easier than ever to make the move to energy self-sufficiency. Blue Frog provides the advanced microinverter technology integral to each Grow Community home solar system.

As the Business Journal notes:

Blue Frog is collaborating on the largest residential solar project in Kitsap County — Bainbridge Island’s Grow Community, a project of real estate development and investment firm Asani. It’s an example of effectively designing and building homes to accommodate rooftop solar panels.
“We knew from the outset that our goal was to create a net-zero community using solar,” says Marja Preston, senior director of development at Asani and owner of a solar home at Grow. “So everything there was designed, including the apartments, so we could get enough solar panels on the roof to provide all the energy needed for the homeowner.”

Thanks to the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal and editor Tim Kelly for the great coverage! Find out more about Simple Solar here.

 

 

What does Washington’s largest planned solar community look like from the air?

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Here’s a bird’s-eye view of Grow Community phase 1, the Village, and its remarkable concentration of energy-producing rooftops.

Grow Community homes are now producing 85-105 percent of their energy needs, eliminating residents’ power bills and earning financial credits through Washington’s strong solar incentives.

YES, THE ‘T’ IS SILENT

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The first neighborhood in Grow Community phase 2 is called the Grove, so it’s apropos that one of its signature buildings draws its name from the Northwest forest.

The Tsuga (pronounced SOO-guh) is named for a familiar group of conifers from the pine family — your friendly neighborhood western hemlock. These grand, fragrant giants are so central to our local environs, we even honor Tsuga heterophylla as our Washington state tree.

We had the quiet nobility of this splendid specimen in mind as we designed the Tsuga. Most residences in this bright and airy building offer single-level living with outdoor patios for gardening and entertaining, and 1,200 to nearly 1,600 square feet of comfortable, ultra-energy-efficient living space.

One remarkable unit offers a unique three-story layout, with a spacious outdoor deck on every level and a more-than-generous area for a home theater, workout room or den. So we might say, “tsee the Tsuga” — find colorful renditions and a really cool interactive display of available floor plans here

Grow Community solar – now a radio star!

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Grow Community’s solar program got the star treatment on KIRO-FM’s “Real Estate Today” over the weekend.

Grow project manager Greg Lotakis was among the panelists for “Simple Solar,” an hourlong discussion of Washington’s dramatic solar incentives and the ease of financing new solar systems for homeowners — and the tremendous benefits for solar adapters like Grow Community residents.

Real Estate Today’s popular host Tom Kelly interviewed Greg along with Tim Bailey, Blue Frog Solar founder and principal; Shannon Ellis-Brock, COO of Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union; Reeves Clippard, founder and CEO of A&R Solar of Seattle. On-air callers had great questions for the in-studio team, our partners in the Grow solar program.

Almost 100% of homes in Grow phase 1, the Village, now have an operational solar system or are queued up to get one installed, giving Grow distinction as the largest planned solar community in Washington state. Solar will be a key feature of our next two phases, the Grove and the Park.

Homes in the Village are producing between 85 and 105 percent of their energy needs through their rooftop installations.

“Until you can see and feel and understand that it works, it feels like it’s a myth,” Greg told Real Estate Today listeners.
“It’s been pretty remarkable.”

Listen to a podcast of the program on the Real Estate Today website.

Big thanks to Tom Kelly for his interest in Grow Community and the Simple Solar program!

Breaking Ground, Then Making It Better Than Ever

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We’ll do our best to keep the dust down, and the noise. But bear with us for a few days, and we think you’ll like what comes next.

Site preparation work gets under way this week at our new Grove and Park neighborhoods, beginning with removal of the old military housing along John Adams Way.

We’ll be recycling as much of the material as we can, although lead paint unfortunately will prevent reuse of some debris. You’ll also see some tree harvesting around the five-acre site being performed by the good craftspeople of Bainbridge Island’s Coyote Wood Shop. These will be milled and repurposed as fine furniture. Maybe even to use in future homes in the Grove!

Next comes the good stuff. As part of site development, we’ll be planting more than 210 new trees.

These healthy new specimens will define and enhance the Grove’s signature green corridors, help neighborhood stormwater retention, and play a big role in carbon sequestration for future generations. In case you missed it, you can read all about Grow Community’s tree plan here.

We expect onsite tree salvage to go through the week, and demolition of old structures to run about a week after that. Watch this site for updates, and then look forward to watching the Grove neighborhood rise up in your midst.

Construction update: All’s super at Cooper

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As we begin home presales in Phase 2, we’re rounding out our first neighborhood, the Village, with the Cooper Apartments on the north end of the grounds.

Cooper West is now getting its interior finishes and fixtures. All windows and doors have been installed, and with siding more than 50 percent complete, the exterior look is really taking shape; watch for exterior painting in the next few weeks. The building should be completed and ready for move-in by mid-September.

Cooper East follows right behind, and should be ready for tenants on Oct. 1. Both buildings are fully leased.

Meanwhile, Phase 2: The Grove and the Park neighborhoods have now gone before the city’s Design Review Board, the Planning Commission and the Hearing Examiner, and we’ve earned positive recommendations at every step of the process. Next we submit plat drawings for the subdivision to the City Council for review and approval.

The permit for the site work and the Grove’s underground garage have been submitted and are under review. Once permits are released later this summer, demolition, grading and utility work will begin on the full five acres. Watch our Grow Community news page for further updates.

NEEA, Next Steps Homes – Case Study

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The Everett home in the Village is part of NEEA‘s (Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance) pilot project: Next Step Homes. The purpose of this pilot – partnering with a select group of builders across the Northwest – is to determine the most cost-effective ways to build homes that will achieve the greatest energy. Check out our case study on their website here and learn more.

Strong demand for Grove neighborhood

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What a great opening weekend! Buyers reserved 27 percent of homes in the Grove, Grow Community’s newest neighborhood, during the grand opening of our new sales office this past weekend.

Thank you to everyone who made our opening weekend gala such a success!

Great opportunities are still available in the Grove with its mix of single-level homes, townhomes and single-family residences, all arrayed around a quiet native woodland and orchard. With beautifully designed, ultra-efficient homes and even a solar option, the Grove sets a new standard for healthy, sustainable living.

If you haven’t visited yet, come find out more about Grow Community at our sales office, 180 Olympic Drive SE, right next to the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal. The office is open noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.