December 2, 2013, DUMBO, NY The DUMBO Improvement District and BioLite are thrilled to announce the launch of DUMBO Firepit, a contained, outdoor, wood-burning fireplace, in the Pearl Street Triangle on December 12. DUMBO Firepit will transform this public plaza into a community hearth, sparking holiday cheer, showcasing the latest in clean tech innovation and, against the backdrop of the Manhattan Bridge, creating the most scenic marshmallow-roasting spot in New York City.
Built by DUMBO-based startup BioLite, makers of the popular BioLite CampStove, DUMBO Firepit uses patented thermoelectric technology to convert waste heat into electricity. In the 70+ countries where the BioLite CampStove is sold, this technology provides a new way to reconnect with the outdoors while its larger counterpart, the BioLite HomeStove, provides a cheaper, cleaner alternative to polluting open cooking fires frequently found in emerging markets. In DUMBO, this technology will power lights on the holiday tree and other installations.
"We’ve taken a typical campsite fire and DUMBOfied it,” said Alexandria Sica, Executive Director of the DUMBO Improvement District. “We ignite big ideas around here. DUMBO is stoked.”
BioLite co-founder Jonathan Cedar said, “We love that DUMBO supports innovation, it’s one of the reasons we set up shop here in the first place. We’re surrounded by neighbors doing awesome projects and we’re excited to share a project of our own. We like to think of DUMBO Firepit as a CampStove for the community.”
Supported with a grant from the NYC Department of Small Business Services, DUMBO Firepit is part of the DUMBO Improvement District’s “DUMBO as Test Kitchen” initiative, which invites local tech companies to pilot innovative ideas in the neighborhood’s public space. Recent projects include DUMBO Street Charge by Pensa, which turned plaza umbrellas into solar-powered cell phone chargers and paved the way for citywide replication via a partnership with AT&T.
DUMBO Firepit will operate in the Pearl Street Triangle (Water Street at Pearl Street) from December 12-22. Burning hours are 4-8pm on weekdays and 12-5pm on weekends, with special events on December 12 and December 19:
DUMBO Tree Lighting Celebration
When: Thursday, December 12
Time: 6-7pm
Details: Music from Brooklyn steel drum band Jah Pan, treats from Jacques Torres, photobooth by Boothify
Cost: Free
About BioLite
BioLite develops and manufactures advanced energy products that make cooking with wood as clean, safe, and easy as modern fuels while also providing electricity to charge small devices like cell phones and LED lights off-grid. Headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, the company was founded in 2009 by Jonathan Cedar and Alec Drummond. Discover more about BioLite at biolitestove.com, facebook.com/biolitestove and twitter.com/biolitestove
About DUMBO Improvement District:
The DUMBO Improvement District is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing and promoting DUMBO, Brooklyn. The Improvement District showcases DUMBO as a world-class destination, advocating on behalf of DUMBO's businesses, property owners and residents. The organization provides supplemental sanitation services, marketing, economic development, neighborhood programming and long-term planning. The Dumbo Improvement District manages DUMBO’s Business Improvement District (BID) an area bounded roughly by York Street, Bridge Street, Old Fulton Street and the waterfront. Discover more at www.dumbo.is and twitter.com/dumbobid.
About the Pearl Street Triangle:
The DUMBO Improvement District Manages the Pearl Street Triangle - one of NYC's first plaza spaces. The Triangle hosts public art, free WiFi and epic view of the Manhattan Bridge. The surface of the Pearl Street Triangle hosts "PST" a mural by artist David Ellis created in 2012.
