PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A Brooklyn-based company has opened a new high-tech greenhouse in Providence that it says will produce six million heads of lettuce every year – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Gotham Greens converted the site of a former General Electric lighting factory along the Woonasquatucket River into a 100,00 square-foot indoor farm. The company says the new facility will be a year-round source of fresh produce for area retailers, restaurants and foodservice customers.
On Thursday, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza and other community leaders were on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebratory “first harvest.”
“The official opening of Gotham Greens’ Providence location is an important step in our efforts to grow Rhode Island’s food economy,” Raimondo said in a statement. “It’s critical that Rhode Islanders have access to fresh, locally-grown food all year round, especially during the cold winter months.”
The greenhouse will also bring about 60 full-time jobs to Providence, according to Gotham Greens.
In addition, the company says it’s committed to donating more than 5,000 pounds fresh produce to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank this winter, and it’s also donated a portion of its land to the city with the intention of building a new bike path along the river connecting those neighborhoods to downtown Providence.
“This isn’t just any economic development project,” Elorza said Thursday. “This project stands at the perfect intersection of economic development with sustainability.”
Visit Gotham Green’s website to learn more about the company and its mission.
