Delaware North Companies (DNC) Parks & Resorts at Yosemite President Dan Jensen led a community event and ribbon cutting ceremony on April 3, to celebrate the completion of a $1.15 million dollar eco-friendly remodel of the Village Store. The event dedicated the newly refurbished store highlighting its 25 percent energy use reduction, sustainable design features and locally grown organic produce. Special guests at the event included National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher, and Tom Willey of T&D Willey Farms, whose locally grown, organic vegetables are featured in the new produce section. Yosemite Valley students also participated in the event, selecting healthy food snacks from the many options available in the store, and enjoyed the organic carrot cake served to the public following the event.

Eco-Friendly Renovation Highlights Include:

• New energy-efficient refrigeration – equivalent of removing between 8-10 vehicles off the road yearly
• Marmoleum flooring incorporated in the store is made with 97% of natural raw materials, 70% of which are rapidly renewable, along with a 40% recycled content. Marmoleum is biodegradable and can be fully recycled
• Eco-friendly paint
• Energy-efficient light fixtures were installed that are California Title 24 compliant
• Produce moved upfront to promote healthier options to visitors and organic offerings were enhanced
• New retail displays and grocery shelving – previous displays and shelving were repurposed for Curry Village and Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, which resulted in less renovation waste to the landfill
• Upgraded store ventilation system, and DNC added R-19 batt insulation to reduce the need to heat and cool air
• Reclaimed lighting from the store was installed in the backroom areas to improve lighting
• DNC partnered with NPS to install a new cooling tower featuring a closed recirculating loop to cool refrigeration units – saving 2,500 gallons of water per day and nearly 913,000 gallons of water a year

“The Village Store remodel was a collaborative effort focusing on healthy options for Yosemite visitors and eco-friendly materials used in the design,” said DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite President Dan Jensen. “We are committed to taking great care of our guests and the environment, which is why this project is so meaningful to us.”