City, state, and federal officials joined representatives of AeroFarms, RBH Group, Goldman Sachs, and Prudential Financial, Inc., to break ground yesterday for the construction of the world’s largest indoor vertical farm.
The 69,000 square-foot, $30,000,000 facility will also serve as the corporate headquarters for AeroFarms, creating vertical farm and global headquarters in a converted steel factory located at 212 Rome Street. The first phases will open in the second half of 2015, creating approximately 78 jobs in a local community with an unemployment rate that is twice the national average. Additionally, AeroFarms has partnered with the Ironbound Community Corporation to create a recruiting and job training program, targeting local residents.
“Newark is pleased to partner with AeroFarms, RBH Group, Goldman Sachs, Prudential Financial and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority on the creation of the world’s largest indoor vertical farm. Newark is becoming a destination for high-tech and environmentally-friendly development, and this project in the East Ward will bring jobs and prosperity to our City. This development initiative is a win for everyone involved, and will have a major impact on our City’s economic and physical health, and our efforts to transform Newark into a City we can all believe in,” said Mayor Baraka.
“We thank our private and public partners here today, along with our neighbors and organizations in the Ironbound who have worked tirelessly to transform this neighborhood into a sustainable, clean and economically viable place to do business, live and work. The future for the Ironbound is brighter today than at any time I can remember. With the commitment of Governor Christie, Senator Booker, and Mayor Baraka along with our private sector partners, we will continue to transform this community,” said East Ward Council Member Augusto Amador.
“Today is another great success for New Jersey’s leading agriculture and food industries. AeroFarms’ innovative and adaptable agriculture solution marks a new day for the Garden State right in the heart of Newark’s Ironbound district and increases access to fresh produce in this urban region. Additionally, a renovated industrial site and the potential for nearly 80 jobs is great news for this community and is a sign of the continued growth we look forward to in Newark,” said Acting Governor Guadagno.
“Renovating 212 Rome Street for a business like AeroFarms is exactly the type of economic development our community wants to see, as it goes a long way to taking it from brown and environmentally overburdened to green and vibrant. We are excited to be partnering with AeroFarms, RBH Group, and the City of Newark to put local people to work. With our support, AeroFarms has already made a number of key hires for both skilled and non-skilled roles, drawing from the local community,” said Ironbound Community Corporation Executive Director Joseph Della Fave.
“Goldman Sachs is pleased to join New Jersey’s elected officials and our partners to help develop and support AeroFarms’ innovative vertical farming technology that will help boost the local economy, promote healthy food options locally, and encourage environmental sustainability. The creation of high-quality, accessible local jobs is an important step in the revitalization of the Ironbound neighborhood,” said Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group Managing Director Margaret Anadu.
“We expect AeroFarms to build on Newark’s history as a hub for manufacturing and innovation by attracting and retaining businesses that will grow through the 21st Century,” said Prudential Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and The Prudential Foundation President Lata Reddy. “Next generation agri-businesses, such as AeroFarms, represent economic opportunity for Newarkers and development that will benefit the entire region.”
“The New Jersey Economic Opportunity Act is effectively working to spur growth in our cities and create new job opportunities for our residents,” said New Jersey Economic Development Authority President and Chief Operating Officer Timothy Lizura. “The transformation of a vacant warehouse in Newark into a headquarters and manufacturing facility for an emerging company is exactly the kind of project the Act was created to advance. The novel technologies that AeroFarms is developing could affect growers around the world, placing New Jersey once again at the forefront of innovation.”
“Today’s groundbreaking takes us one step closer to addressing the tremendous demand for our locally grown produce that is setting a new culinary standard for freshness and taste. We are excited to redefine not only the Garden State but also agriculture overall. Partnering with RBH, Goldman Sachs, Prudential, NJEDA, the City of Newark, and the ICC allows us to bring our global headquarters and the world’s largest indoor vertical farm close to where the consumer is, while also creating jobs. We are also happy to build on our deep ties within the Newark Community over the last four years, where we have had one of our working vertical farms in the dining hall of Philip’s Academy Charter School, offering the shortest farm to table experience around for the students and creating a better connection with how their food is grown,” said AeroFarms CEO Rosenberg.
“Today we break ground on an exciting new development that will anchor our “Makers Village” project in the Ironbound neighborhood to compete toe-to-toe with the Brooklyn Navy Yard with a superior cost structure and greater transmodal access, bringing 21st century ‘maker-type’ businesses to Newark and the State of New Jersey. We are delighted to bring our elected officials and financial partners together to introduce AeroFarms, a farming and technology leader, to the City of Newark, creating jobs for local residents and greater access to locally grown produce for our city,” said RBH Group CEO and Founding Partner Ron Beit.
“New Jersey has a long agricultural tradition, and we are not only known for our rich farmland and high-quality product, but also as a leader in new agricultural technologies. We welcome AeroFarms indoor vertical farming to the Garden State and have had the chance to see their impressive operation. We look forward to their full-scale production of flavorful and healthy leafy greens year-round,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher.
The building is located on a three-acre industrial site in the center of the Ironbound community in Newark. It is adjacent to Routes 1 and 9, a freight rail right of way, and to other industrial businesses along Rome and Christie Streets.
When completed, AeroFarms will have the capacity to grow up to 2 million pounds per year of baby leafy greens and herbs in an environmentally controlled, safe, and sanitary facility. It will provide healthy foods to the local community as well as to other markets. AeroFarms is a model for successful, sustainable farming offering 75 times more productivity per square foot annually than a traditional field farm while using no pesticides and consuming over 95 percent less water.
