UAW representative Lynn Hinkle has formulated a series of principles the that could, and should, guide the Ford Plant Committee and the the City of St. Paul in the development of the Ford Plant Site. These concepts and ideas have been formed after conversations with environmental and labor activists, writers, futurists , Ford Plant committee members and others. Among those offering input include members of our partnership, which are listed on the tool bar to the right.
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Highland is already a world-class mixed use community with
many elements that should be integral to proposed next generation sustainable
development of the Ford Site. These features include family sustaining manufacturing
jobs based on non-carbon energy mixed with housing and retail in a full range
of affordability as well as public green space bounded by the Mississippi River
National Parks Corridor.
The Ford Site Task Force can enhance the existing and historic
mix of uses by adding complementary features which would serve as a model of
sustainable development for future generations.
We are at the beginning of a defining social moment and we need
to anticipate that when the Ford Site is marketable in several years, the
market will have begun shifting to embrace carbon mitigation. In a few years a carbon
offset development will be a critical asset for the community and far more
attractive than developments shaped just by current market standards.
There are few opportunities to create standards for the
future whose outlines are already clear. The Ford Site redevelopment is such an
opportunity. We see the following principles as key to realizing this critical
opportunity to chart a course for truly long-term economic development.
We support multi-modal transit options that extend and expand
the use of the existing rail corridor by:
- Adding mass-transit capacity to the existing
Ford-Site rail corridor to decrease traffic/emissions while increasing
residential and retail/research densities and retaining rail freight support
for green manufacturing.
- Adding thru-site mass-transit with regional
connectivity to reduce on-site need for personal transit and increase both on-site
walk/bike/ride share and common green space.
- Adding safe intersections and curb cut-outs that
are wheelchair friendly for seniors and disabled people living/working/shopping
in the community and using public transportation.
- Designing embedded and shared parking with
plug-in and ride share incentives.
We support generating enough on-site non-carbon energy to
exceed the mixed use demand of the site by:
- Reconnecting the 18MW hydro-electric plant to
the site using municipalization a strategy similar to C-BED public ownership,
or creation of a not-for-profit entity, such as, St Paul District Heating.
- Developing the Ford Site for tunnels ground
source heating capacity.
- Designing and constructing buildings to maximize
energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources, including solar thermal
and PV.
- Generating heat and electrical power from on-site
methane as well as fumes to fuel processes as part of some green manufacturing
processes.
- Expanding the current on-site waste treatment.
We support sustainably built systems by:
- Planning densities of residential/research/retail
that maximizes energy efficiency and use of renewable energy and wide economic
diversity.
- Retaining the economic diversity of housing of
the greater Highland community by including a
full range of sustainable housing options with long-term affordability close to
retail, green common space, regional transit and jobs and anticipating the
growth of senior housing needs.
- Using LEED standards, employing local
firms, and union contractors.
- Designing buildings for maximum use of the Sun
for gardens and recreation and roofs for multiple green uses including prairie
grass carbon sinks surrounded by significant open space.
- Building in sustainable precipitation systems,
such as greater filtering systems.
- Protecting the river corridor’s natural visual
and environmental character.
We support family supporting jobs by:
- Ensuring at least 2,000 on-site jobs for workers
from a range of skills that provide enough income for family health care, transportation,
education and energy in 40 hours worked.
- Providing on-site child and elder care for
residents and workers.
- Marketing the site (by state and city) for green
manufacturing of wind turbines, mass
transit vehicles or green building equipment linked to on-site research that supports
those markets.
- ·Re-connecting the hydro to on-site eco-manufacturing
with incentives for lowest carbon parts, processes and products.
- Working with on-site unions and businesses to
use 4/10 workweeks continuing UAW 879’s negotiated reduced traffic/emissions
program.
We support development that fosters community and
re-localization by:
- Developing center for wellness, arts and
skill-sharing activities.
- Developing on-site adult learning and building
trades apprenticeship training center for sustainable building and renewable
energy equipment in the retained MNSCU facility.
- Designing for on-site self-reliance including
community gardens and streets that encourage walking and biking to work, shop
and recreate.
- Soliciting jobs aligned with regional markets
and that allow Ford-site workers to live and shop in the community.
- Developing capacity for “neighborhood vehicle”
use.
In light of how emerging carbon mitigation standards will
re-shape the market with carbon trade/tax, we support a carbon offset
redevelopment of the Ford site as the most marketable option by:
- Developing and using “green bonding” for the low
carbon development including housing, manufacturing, infrastructure and
transit.
- Engaging the rapidly growing green capital
market to help shape needed private investment.
- Using municipal or publically driven non-profit
on-site utilities as both the best public return on development investment and
means to sustainable utility rates.
- Using city and regional entities as the site’s prime developer.
