All Posts Tagged With: "green design"

Back in April, AOL opened up its new headquarters at 770 Broadway, which dates from 1903 and was designed by Daniel Burnham. The 15-story tower spans the entire block between East 8th and 9th Streets and is currently in pursuit of a LEED for Existing Buildings (”LEED-EB”) rating. In an effort to demonstrate that there is still good green real estate news here in New York City, AOL has announced that it will take the tower’s entire sixth floor (76,000 square feet) from owner Vornado, bumping its total at 770 Broadway to around 228,000 square feet across three floors. Architects Mancini Duffy designed AOL’s interiors, which are currently seeking an unspecified level of LEED for Commercial Interiors (”LEED-CI”) certification, though it’s unclear whether the firm will also design the company’s sixth floor addition.

Although the credit crisis has definitely taken its toll on local green building projects in a variety of ways, the Post’s Steve Cuozzo reported today that Larry Silverstein may be close to landing a tenant who will at least partially replace the space that HSBC was slated to occupy at LEED Gold-certified 7 World Trade Center. HSBC’s potential move to five floors at the green tower was heralded, but a deal to sell its Midtown headquarters at 452 Fifth Avenue (at West 40th Street) fell apart several weeks ago after bidders came up $180 million short of the bank’s $600 million asking price. Accordingly, HSBC very quietly pulled out of its agreement to move downtown to Manhattan’s first LEED-certified commercial office building. Now, the German bank West LB is “in ‘real’ discussions” with Mr. Silverstein for space across three floors.

The Upper West Side’s Calhoun School at 433 West End Avenue (at West 81st Street) was the first school in New York City to install a green roof. Its Green Roof Learning Center, which opened back in 2005, was part of a four-story, FXFOWLE-designed addition to the school’s main building. On Thursday, October 23, Calhoun is offering a free tour of the Learning Center and roof; the school estimates that the roof prevents around 26,000 gallons of water runoff per year. Representatives from FXFOWLE will also be available to discuss how the roof was designed, constructed, and maintained, as well as the Center’s vegetable garden, weather station, and worm composting facilities. The Green Schools Alliance (of which Calhoun is a member) was created by schools and requires potential members to sign a climate commitment pledge in order to join.

Even as its neighbor on the north side of West 41st Street, 11 Times Square, struggles to land its first tenant, Forest City Ratner Companies has agreed to two new leases at the New York Times Building on 8th Avenue. The deals, which were inked with the Government of Flanders and Autonomy Inc., leave just one space of approximately 6500 square feet remaining in what was the speculative office portion of the building. The Government of Flanders took 7400 square feet on the tower’s 44th floor, where it will open an office of tourism and cultural house. Automony, Inc., which is the second largest software company in Europe, will lease 5375 square feet of space on the 38th floor. CB Richard Ellis represented Forest City in both deals, with NAI Global for Flanders.

One important question growing out of the ongoing credit crisis is how it will impact green construction projects in emerging neighborhoods. Obviously this inquiry isn’t limited just to New York City, but a good example is the Knickerbocker Condominiums in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. Developed by the Hudson Companies, Inc. the 49-unit project contemplates the adaptive reuse of existing housing stock into modern loft apartments. The developer plans to seek a LEED rating for the project, and green features include LEED-standard recycled-content construction materials, a bicycle storage room, efficient building systems, and a public green roof. Over 40 percent of units at the Knickerbocker feature some sort of private outdoor space. The project is also participating in NYSERDA’s Multifamily Performance Program, which offers incentives to developers who build energy efficient options into their design programs.

We wrote about the Mercy Corps Action Center to End World Hunger earlier this year; the $5.4 million, 4000-square-foot interactive education facility is set to open this Thursday, October 16 (which is World Food Day) within community space at the Sheldrake Organization’s Riverhouse condominiums. Designed by Edwin Schlossberg’s ESI Design, the Center is seeking a LEED Platinum rating from USGBC. The Center’s mission is to both educate and inspire visitors to take action against poverty and hunger. Four “training towers” provide case studies from different countries- conflict in Afghanistan, government in Indonesia, global warming in Niger, and land use in Guatemala. Benches made from wood reclaimed from houses destroyed during Hurricane Katrina lace the Center’s interiors, while a Tina Fey-hosted video provides an overview of the Center’s offerings.