Battery Park City Authority issues RFP for new green building

Real Estate Weekly, Jan 22, 2003

The Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) announced that it has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for an environmentally-advanced "green" high rise apartment building to be built on "Site 2A," a 20,276-SF property along Little West Street immediately north of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel near the southern end of Battery Park City.

An earlier RFP for this site was released on Sept. 10, 2001. It was later withdrawn as the BPCA focused on recovery from the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11.

James F. Gill, chairman of the Battery Park City Authority, said: "The new RFP for Site 2A is the first one released by the BPCA since 9/11. This is one more indication that under Governor Pataki's leadership Battery Park City is helping pave the way toward full recovery downtown. Our residential occupancy rate is 97%, two percent higher than it was before 9/11. Our commercial occupancy rate is fifty-nine percent and climbing -- and our school occupancy rate is ninety-eight percent."

The new "green" building on Site 2A, which will be eligible for Liberty Bond funding and for Governor Pataki's first-in-the-nation "green" tax credit program, will occupy the eastern 100-ft. portion of Block 2, a site that is bounded by Battery Place, First Place, Little West Street, and Second Place. The new building will have a footprint of approximately 15,200 SF and can be built out to 416,200 SF with a height of 360 ft. Approximately 400 residential units are anticipated. The western side of Block 2, which is known as Site 2B, will be occupied by the planned Women's Museum.

Like the world's first "green" high-rise residential building that is now under construction at 20 River Terrace by the Albanese Development Corporation, all future residential, commercial and institutional buildings in Battery Park City will be built in accordance with the BPCA's pioneering "Green Guidelines." These guidelines have recently been upgraded to reflect changes in the New York State Energy Code and to make them more compatible with the U.S. Green Building Council's rating system. The new "green" building on Site 2A will feature:

* On site filtering and recycling of waste water to supply flush water for toilets; the new building will use 33% less water than a comparable non-green building;

* Energy strategies that result in a 67% reduction in electric energy use during peak demand hours and that are 20 percent more efficient than current NYS codes, including: digital programmable thermostats; dimmable and motion-detector controlled lighting, low-E glazing, high efficiency insulation, variable speed pumps, motors and fans, 30 percent more natural light, and the use of Energy Star appliances;

* Photo-voltaic solar panels for generating electric power to provide at least 5% of base building electric load, and provisions for the future use of fuel cells;

* The collection of rain water for irrigation of the roof gardens; plumbing fixtures that use 10% less water than required by the Energy Policy Act of 1992;

* Recycling of at least 75% of construction waste; high use of construction materials with recycled content and of materials manufactured within 500 miles of the site;

* Improved indoor air quality through high-efficiency central air filtration system and fresh air supply to every apartment including humidification during winter months.

To help answer questions developers may have about these "green" initiatives, the BPCA will host a workshop called "The Cost of Green -- Myths and Facts." The workshop will take place at the BPCA's office, 1 World Financial Center, 24"' Floor, New York, NY on Feb. 4 at 12:30 p.m. For more information please call Rachel James (212) 417- 4122.