NEW YORK, NY - Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the completion of the Kalahari, a 249-unit mixed-income development on 116th Street in Harlem designed and built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Certification standards, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance 'green' buildings. Twenty-five percent of the building's energy comes from renewable sources such as solar and wind. The Kalahari offers 120 homes affordable to moderate- and middle-income households. The Kalahari was developed by Full Spectrum of NY and L&M Development Partners through the Department of Housing Preservation and Development's Cornerstone program which builds multifamily, mixed-income housing on City-owned land. The Mayor was joined by HPD Commissioner Shaun Donovan, New York State Affordable Housing Corporation President and CEO Priscilla Almodovar, Goldman Sachs Group CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein, Housing Partnership Development Corporation President and CEO Dan Martin, Full Spectrum of NY Principal Carlton Brown, L&M Development Partners Principal Ron Moelis and JPMorgan Chase Senior Vice President Charles Gatewood.
"The Kalahari shows that affordable housing can also be sustainable housing," said Mayor Bloomberg. "As we work to build housing for the million new people expected to come to New York by 2030, we need to ensure that we are building homes that people can afford and that allow the city to grow in an environmentally responsible way. These new homes are part of our 165,000-unit affordable housing plan, the largest municipal affordable housing plan in the nation's history. Over 70,000 housing units have already been financed, keeping us on track to complete the plan on schedule."
As part of PlaNYC, HPD is working with other agencies to create homes for almost a million more New Yorkers by 2030 while making housing more affordable and environmentally sustainable. The plan recommends that future housing developments be located less than half a mile from public transportation. The Kalahari is located in Central Harlem within walking distance of two major subway lines. As an eco-friendly residence, the Kalahari includes green features such as a fresh-filtered air delivery system that purifies air quality at a constant rate, Energy Star appliances that will help to reduce energy consumption by 30 percent below the New York State Energy Code, green roofs, and landscaped public courtyards featuring native plants. Today, nearly 80 percent of New York City's carbon emissions come from buildings. During the construction of the Kalahari, the builders used recycled materials in everything from the structural steel and concrete to the gypsum board and carpets. Half of the apartments in the Kalahari will be affordable to households earning middle- and moderate-incomes, ranging between $63,810 to $131,165 for a family of four and $44,640 to $91,760 for a single person.
"Like the vibrant mix of colors on the Kalahari's façade, here is proof that creative design, affordability and sustainability can be woven together to create a new Harlem landmark," said HPD Commissioner Donovan. "This type of integration is crucial to creating more affordable housing for almost a million people by 2030. Sustainable design is no longer an exclusive luxury but a resource for improving the quality of life for all of New York City's residents. Full Spectrum of NY and L&M Development Partners have created a building that successfully showcases the potential of smart building practices for residential use. In addition to Full Spectrum and L&M, I want to thank the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation, the Housing Partnership Development Corporation, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase for making this building possible."
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Source: Media-NewsWire.com