One of Memphis' most blighted neighborhoods will soon become one of the premier green communities in America.
Former vacant and neglected lots in the Uptown district are being transformed into models of energy efficiency that will significantly reduce homeowners' monthly utility costs.
At the core of Uptown's revitalization area is new home construction using EcoBuild, a green building program created by Memphis Light, Gas & Water that is designed to be 30% more energy efficient than typical residential construction in Shelby County.
Homes built to EcoBuild standards feature a more efficient air-conditioning system, better windows and roofing materials to minimize heat gain, and recycled products to keep construction matter out of landfills.
Targeting low- to moderate-income families, the Uptown redevelopment project will ultimately rejuvenate 100 blocks of the north Memphis Downtown area.
With 11 new single-family homes completed and about 400 on tap, MLGW regards Uptown as its petri dish, says Becky Williamson, MLGW strategic marketing coordinator.
"Uptown is a great laboratory for this experiment of building energy-efficient homes," she says. "The infrastructure was already there so it is just reclaiming an area that was abandoned and neglected. It's a great opportunity, and we are really looking forward to it when it's all built out and we can really tout its great success." "It's based on Shelby County weather, Shelby County building practices, codes etc.," says Williamson. "You couldn't take EcoBuild and transplant it to Texas or to New York and have it work — you have to modify the measures, and these are based on our weather. They are based on our building practices, our local codes."
EcoBuild homes are inspected twice to ensure compliance. An on-site inspection is performed before the drywall is installed to verify that insulation, mechanical systems and other behind-the-wall measures are in place. A second inspection is performed at building completion.