HUD Promotes Green In Harlem

(From left to right)...Marc Jahr, President, NYC Housing Development Corporation; Abbey Jo Sigal, VP, Enterprise Community Partners: Jonathan Rose, President, Jonathan Rose Companies; RA Adolfo Carrión; Assemblyman Keith Wright; and, Congressman Charles Rangel.

HUD Regional Administrator Adolfo Carrión joined Rep. Charles Rangel, Assemblyman Keith Wright, and a host of government and community leaders at the ribbon cutting of West 135 Street Apartments in Harlem, which was the first development in the country to receive stimulus funding under HUD's new Green Retrofit Program for Multifamily Housing (GRP) that created green jobs, made the complex more energy efficient and enhanced the quality of life for its residents. Nationwide, under the GRP, HUD awarded $250 million to 221 older, multifamily project-based developments to promote greater energy efficiency and create green jobs. The modernization of West 135 Street Apartments created 18 jobs.

The preservation of the West 135 Street Apartments was a collaborative effort between national real estate developer, Jonathan Rose Companies, and leading city and federal housing agencies. The $50.9 million project, of which HUD contributed $3.6 million, modernized the development's infrastructure and helped to preserve 198 affordable apartments for low-income families. The project is being touted as a national model for public-private investments in the preservation and greening of affordable housing.

Residents, most of whom are Section 8 recipients, were allowed to remain in their apartments during the green rehabilitation, which is estimated to have produced approximately 25 percent energy savings. Upgrades included replacing 32 boilers with 10 high-efficiency boilers, installing a new vestibule and insulated glass entry doors, and installing new ceramic flooring from recycled content in the lobby and new LED light fixtures in corridors.

"The HUD grant allowed us to expand the scope of our work," said Wendy Rowden, managing director in the Investment Practice Group at Jonathan Rose Companies, owner of the property. "This is a model we are looking to replicate elsewhere in New York City and nationwide."

Content Archived: December 2, 2013