A recycled building

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The 100-year-old building had too much character to tear it down, so Scott Rutledge recycled it instead.

“Now it’s ready for the next 50 years,” he says. “Maybe it will continue to go on.”

The building in the historic Martin City area now houses his company, Sharper Edge Home and Garden (610 E. 135th St.), which specializes in curb appeal and sells custom stamped concrete landscape edging.

During the past century, the building was home to a variety of other businesses, including a gas station and liquor store. A tornado almost destroyed it in 1957.

In 2005, Rutledge started the renovation. He removed gas tanks and installed high-efficiency insulation and windows, along with T5 fluorescent lights. High-tech thermostats and a heat pump for both heating and cooling are in place.

He is now installing motion-sensitive light switches.

“What we achieved is a building that has a tremendous amount of character, old and new, but with modern-day sensibility,” Rutledge says. “Our energy bills are half of what they were before the renovation.”

He wants other business owners to see that history and energy efficiency can go together. The key to encouraging businesses to go green? Make it cost effective, he says.

“If there’s an investment and a recovery of that investment it’s a good thing. It can be green and save money in the long run.”

•For more information go to www.sharper homeandgarden.com.

| Jan Landon, Special to The Star Send ideas for Green Home to home@kcstar .com or House + Home, FYI, The Kansas City Star, 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108.

Posted on Sat, Sep. 12, 2009 10:15 PM

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