CHICAGO, IL – It was announced that BrightFarms, Inc. is building a one-acre farm on a rooftop in Chicago’s Roscoe Village—making it the largest rooftop farm in the city. The farm will grow up to 500,000 pounds of lettuces, tomatoes, and herbs per year, scaling up locally grown produce in Chicago. The farm will boost the city of Chicago’s strong tradition of urban agriculture and support Mayor Emanuel’s initiatives to increase access to fresh and healthy foods.
BrightFarms, based in New York, builds commercial scale greenhouse farms across the country, partnering with local farmers to manage the greenhouses and supermarkets to sell the produce. Its business model creates 6 green-collar jobs and 50 construction jobs per acre, reduces the carbon footprint of trucking produce across the country, and offers supermarket customers farm-fresh vegetables picked within hours—not days—of harvest.
The farm will be built atop the 355,400-square-foot Bradley Business Center, strengthening the North Side business community. The Bradley Business Center is being further developed by Centrum Partners and Hanson Realty as a premier business and technology center.
“BrightFarms is a great addition to both the Bradley Business Center, and the 47th Ward,” says 47th Ward Alderman Ameya Pawar. “Its presence affirms the significance of the City’s zoning code amendments for urban agriculture.”
“Companies such as BrightFarms are exactly the kind of tenants we are looking for at the Bradley Business Center,” says Michael McLean, Senior Vice President of Chicago-based Centrum Partners. “Innovative companies that bring a culture of creativity will continue to establish this dynamic environment as one of Chicago’s premier business and technology centers.”
“We’re thrilled to join the city of Chicago, which has a strong tradition of urban agriculture and understands the value of local production,” says Paul Lightfoot, BrightFarms CEO. “We can’t wait to bring year-round local produce to one of the city’s retailers.”
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 Bradley Business Center
The Bradley Business Center is a 21-acre commercial campus conveniently located on Chicago’s North Side between I-90/94 and Wrigley Field. A total of 280,000 remaining square feet of the 500,00 square feet of class A office/flex space is available for lease or for sale. Spaces are fully customizable, available in configurations from 5,000 square feet and up. The beautifully landscaped, sought after park-like setting is one of the top work environments in the city with modern amenities such as a fitness and recreation center, café, collaborative space, ample power, and free parking, at a fraction of the cost of the Loop.
Source: BrightFarms