Albanese Starts on Second Green Tower

A second green residential tower is rising at Battery Park City in Manhattan, following the Solaire, which opened in 2003. The Albanese Organization and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, joint developers on both projects, broke ground recently on the $105 million building designed by Cesar Pelli and Associates, which also designed the Solaire.

The new 24-story building is slated for completion in November, according to a press release. The 299,000-sq.-ft. structure will have 253 residential units, ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments. It is on site 18B east of the Solaire.

Among the environmental highlights is an HVAC system that exceeds city energy efficiency standards by nearly 40 percent, the release stated. It also will have a natural gas microturbine generating 70 kilowatts of electric power, covering 20 percent of the base electric load and recapturing energy in order to heat all of the building's hot water. Overall, the features will lower peak energy demand by 65 percent.

Another innovation links the new building to the Solaire's existing black water treatment plant. The new structure will also "harvest" rainwater and store 10,000 gallons of recycled water to irrigate landscape features, including a rooftop garden.

The project team includes four New York-based firms - Turner Construction Company as general contractor, Schuman Lichtenstein Claman & Efron as building architect, Flack & Kurtz as mechanical and electrical engineer, and DeSimone Consulting Engineers as structural engineer.

According to the release, primary financing comes from 30-year Liberty Bonds issued by the New York State Housing Financing Authority. That program allots 5 percent of building units to moderate-income families.

Battery Park to Develop One of Last Three Sites

One of the last three residential sites in Battery Park City is ready for development, with the Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority having solicited developers during the fall and planning to pick a winner by early 2005. The parcel, known as site 3, is the last site in the southern neighborhood, according to a release.

The parcel is on the east side of Battery Place, next to a planned Women's Museum and Conference Center and an already-programmed residential tower being developed by Millennium Partners.

`Under zoning guidelines, the plans call for a 423,200-sq.-ft. building, with 382,700 sq. ft. for residential units, 40,500 sq. ft. for community use, and an unspecified amount for retail uses. The community portion will include 27,000 sq. ft. for the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy. The figures exclude space for mechanical or underground facilities, an authority spokesman said. The winning developer will be able to negotiate final building parameters.

The winning developer will decide whether the building's units would be rentals or owner-occupied. The developer will also select the general contractor, architect, and project team. Those firms must adhere to the authority's green construction standards that aim to maximize energy efficiency and minimize water usage.

All bidding developers had to submit a $50,000 "good faith deposit." The losing firms can get their money back upon request, but without interest.