The renovation of Town & Country Market on Bainbridge Island will make the iconic grocery more spacious and modern. Less apparent to shoppers, the remodel will also make the building more efficient.
T&C Markets secured a $1.15 million loan for energy upgrades at the store using a federal bond program. The low-interest loan was made possible by the federal Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds program. Bonds for the project were issued this month by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission as part of Kitsap County’s Green Community Initiative.
T&C is the first private company in the country to take advantage of the bond program, according to a news release.
“This financing was a key part of our decision-making, and made it possible for the remodel to add far greater energy efficiency than we had hoped,” T&C Markets CEO Bill Weymer said in the release.
The company will use the money to upgrade refrigeration and lighting systems at the Winslow Way store, among other improvements. T&C Sustainability Director Tony D’Onofrio said the store will install a cascade refrigeration system that utilizes both refrigerants and carbon dioxide to reduce electricity use. The store will also be outfitted with LED and fluorescent lighting inside and in the parking lot.
Combined with other improvements, the new store should save 41 percent more energy per square foot. The project should pay for itself through utility savings in about 10 years, according to the release. Construction at T&C is expected to wrap up in early 2015.
The bond program is open to government agencies, nonprofits and businesses. The county page has a breakdown of how it works.
