New Lynn office complex going green

LYNN – Local developer David Potter wants to transform the city into a renewable energy environment and is hoping to jumpstart the trend with a brand new office complex on Granite Street.On the site of the former 28-bed Lenox Hill Nursing Home at 70 Granite St., Potter’s plan would create a state of the art 8,400 square foot facility named Granite Green that will house business startup companies focusing on alternative energy products and technologies.Roughly 17 different businesses are proposed to take up residence at the City Council-approved building in rented suites that will range in size from 250 to 1,000 square feet.Three conference rooms will also be available for use along with a fitness facility on the first floor.Potter said the new building would house wind and solar units on the roof and will feature a waterfall and a streaming digital sign informing people of the date and time.”Lynn as a city needs to grab onto as many up and coming industries as possible, because this is the wave of the future,” he said.Potter said Granite Green will be affiliated with the Salem Enterprise Center at Salem State College and that all of the start up businesses in the building will be required to take the same courses and seminars as the start-ups at Salem Enterprise Center.Three buildings currently make up the former nursing home that currently covers more than two acres with roughly 60,000 square feet of property.Potter’s plan would include tearing down one of the buildings to create extra parking, leaving behind about 40,000 square feet of usable space.”The only residential neighbors are to the rear, Stadium Condominiums, and they should not be impacted at all,” he said. “During the renovation of the buildings, one whole wing will be removed and 70 parking spaces will be installed in its place.”Zoned an industrial use, Potter requested a special permit from the City Council to create a commercial corridor in its place.”Start up businesses will help the U.S. overcome its energy deficit,” he said. “We import far too much energy and hopefully Granite Green businesses will promote or discover better ways to fuel our homes, autos and businesses.”In the future, Potter said he hopes that the businesses at Granite Green will outgrow the building and expand to other parts of the city and hire more employees along the way.In addition, Potter said the businesses would develop alternative energy methods that can be integrated into residential buildings and other uses.”The National Business Incubators Association (NBIA) estimates that in 2005 alone, North American incubators (buildings housing businesses) assisted more than 27,000 start up companies that provided full time employment for more than 100,000 workers and generated annual revenue of more than $17 billion,” he said.Potter said the businesses and the building would be paying taxes.Demolition and construction is expected to begin in late spring following a 30-day appeal period.