EcoCity Partners to Run PACE in Gulfport

Two years after council first approved creating a Commercial PACE Ordinance, city leaders unanimously agreed on a third party administrator to run the program.

EcoCity Partners will provide services for the design, implementation and administration of the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program in Gulfport.

Amy Elliot with EcoCity Partners says they're excited about the approval and plan to be up and running soon. She says Gulfport is their first city on the west coast of Florida, making them a bicoastal company.

The unanimous vote Tuesday night, minus Mayor Mike Yakes, allowed City Manager Jim O'Reilly to enter in a contract with the Florida Green Finance Authority, with EcoCity Partners, L3C, as the program's third party administrator, for the participation in and administration of the Florida Green Energy Works Program in the City of Gulfport. (Mayor Yakes was not present at the March 5 meeting due to health issues.)

Gulfport's addition to the Florida Green Finance Authority will open up opportunity for more cities in Pinellas County and Western Florida to adopt similar PACE programs, Elliot said.

"Gulfport and the commission set the standard, they did their due diligence. Gulfport took its time and made sure the program fit the city, Elliot said.

Elliot says business owners in Gulfport could begin applying now on their website. Owners looking to make improvements costing $5,000 or more can apply, and if qualified, they can borrow up to 100% of the available equity of a commercial property, according to Elliot.

Elliot added that although Gulfport is a small community, she's found 60 to 70 business owners in town that are eligible for PACE, with information provided by the Pinellas County Property Appraisers Office.

Elliot says they're already working with local vendors for upcoming projects. St. Pete Beach based Wind Water and Energy Conservation has already signed on with EcoCity Partners.

Alicia Buchanan and Andrew Overmyer with Wind, Water and Energy Conservation shared the following statement with Gulfport Patch.

"Wind, Water and Energy Conservation is excited that the city of Gulfport has approved the PACE program this week. We have over 20 years experience in providing energy efficiency projects and see PACE as a solution for business owners to make significant capital improvements to their properties without using their own funds. Money is tight for businesses right now and PACE is a solution to sustain business operations by reducing utility costs, while sending a message to their customers that they are environmentally conscious.

We look forward to providing healthy, more productive working environments through services such as energy audits, savings verification, and general contractor on the complete energy-efficient retrofit."

About PACE:

The program allows commercial owners to borrow money for energy efficient improvements such as installing new windows, insulation or other upgrades that reduce energy consumption. The loan could also help pay for a geothermal heat pump, solar photovoltaic systems, solar panel roofs and roof tiles and other retrofits.

PACE allows property owners to borrow a percentage of the value of the property and have 20 years to pay off the loan.

Selection Process:

Two firms applied for the contract in November: EcoCity Partners and Ygrene. The selection committee rated each firm on three areas of criteria. The committee consisted of Public Works Director Don Sopak, Community Development Director Fred Metcalf and Fire Chief James Marenkovic. Overall, EcoCity Partners received a final score of 88.33 to Ygrene’s 71.67.

About EcoCity Partners:

EcoCity Partners is an LC3, low-profit limited liability company that works with municipalities to develop public-private partnerships that create green jobs, facilitate renewable energy and energy efficiency property improvements and benefit the environment. Learn more about EcoCity Partners on their website.

The company has offices in St. Petersburg and West Palm Beach, FL.

Related Coverage:

• PACE Moves Forward in Gulfport
• Gulfport Mayoral Candidates Weigh in on Luring Businesses to Town

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