It's not easy being green when building affordable housing, according to the Cambridge, Mass.-based Homeowner's Rehab officials who designed a 40-unit affordable housing project called Trolley Square in Cambridge.
But the toil is worth it, says Jane Jones, Homeowner's senior project manager. "We are finding high incidents of asthma in children who live in multifamily housing," Jones says. "By developing green, sustainable homes, we can improve the indoor air quality for people who live there."
Set to open next summer, the $12 million Trolley Square will offer 32 rental apartments and eight for-sale townhouses, along with 2,700 square feet of retail space and parking. The developer gave a 4,000-square-foot corner of the site to the City of Cambridge for a park.
Jones said she found grants to help subsidize environmentally friendly components such as low-flow faucets. She also hired Boston-based Geller Devellis landscape architecture firm to incorporate drought-resistant plants and a better way to water them.
"We are trying to be as green as we can," says Phil Pryor, a partner at Geller Devellis and a landscape architect. "We are reusing roof runoff and storing it in the ground to use on the landscaping."
The landscaping will frame brick and stone buildings along a busy street, says Ross Speer, an architect with Mostue & Associates Architects in Cambridge, Mass.
"It was important that it set a standard for this part of North Cambridge," he says. "It has a 300-foot-long exposure, so we wanted it to have a nice pedestrian rhythm as you go down the street."
–Erin Massey
3700 Associates is developing The Cosmopolitan Resort and Casino, a 2,600-unit luxury hotel-condominium community on the Las Vegas strip, located between the Bellagio and MGM Mirage's proposed CityCenter. The $2 billion project will include a 70,000-square-foot casino, more than 150,000 square feet of conference space, and more than 300,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space.
Centerline Homes is building phase three of Baldwin Park, a 149-unit condominium community in Orlando, Fla. The community offers eight unique floor plans, ranging in size from 1,604 square feet to 2,084 square feet. In-unit amenities will include gourmet-style kitchens with Whirlpool designer appliances, exterior French doors, and alarm systems. Community amenities will include a pool, clubhouse, fitness center, and tropical landscaping.
BAP Development is building the 536-unit Opera Place, two condominium towers in downtown West Palm Beach, Fla. The studios and one-, two, and three-bedroom units will feature PRISM-a concierge panel that accesses the building's amenities and services with a touch of a button. Amenities will include a garden with an infinity-edge pool, theater, fitness center with spinning and yoga rooms, WiFi access points throughout the common areas, and a public retail arcade.
M&R Development is developing Regency Place, a 112-unit apartment community in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., to be built by McShane Construction Corp. The community will feature two four-story wings featuring one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. Amenities will include a clubhouse with a fitness center, plus an indoor pool and spa, and a business center with conference facilities. Completion is expected for April 2007.
The Hanover Co., MetLife Real Estate Investments, and Simon Property Group are developing The Village at SouthPark, a mixed-use community in Charlotte, N.C., to include 150 residential units and 48,000 square feet of specialty retail, including a Crate and Barrel store. The one-, two-, and three-bedroom urban-style units will feature soaring ceilings, gourmet kitchens with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, and custom track and pendant lighting. Amenities will include a heated rooftop pool, a fitness center, a WiFi Internet café, and a great room with a demonstration kitchen.
The Athena Group broke ground on 'A' Jersey City, a $110 million condominium community near the Hudson River in Jersey City, N.J. The project includes a 33-story tower with 250 condominium units offering Manhattan skyline views, 10,500 square feet of retail space, and a 238-space parking garage. Amenities will include a 24-hour concierge, fitness center, and sunset terrace with city views.
J.H. Snyder Co. has opened The Crescent, a mixed-use community in Beverly Hills, Calif., which includes 88 luxury apartments; 40,000 square feet of office space; and 534 underground parking spaces. The units feature high ceilings, crown molding, Italian marble countertops, and stainless steel kitchen appliances. The community is in walking distance to the world-famous shops on Rodeo Drive.
–Listings compiled by Rachel Z. Azoff
