Environment DEC
From the May 2005 issue
Governor Pataki Breaks Ground for "Green Building" in Battery Park City
Millenium Tower Residences will be completed by the end of 2006 and will operate at a significantly lower cost than buildings of comparable size
Governor George E. Pataki joined the Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) and Millennium Partners to break ground on a new "green" 35-story high-rise apartment building known as Millennium Tower Residences, in the south neighborhood of Battery Park City. The building is the first "green" building to be constructed since September 11th without using government incentives.
"This building is yet another great project for Lower Manhattan and an indication that downtown revitalization is well underway," Governor Pataki said. "This beautiful, environmentally responsible, condominium tower is being built at full taxes, demonstrating once again, that Lower Manhattan has a bright future. Battery Park City continues to lead the way when it comes to encouraging environmentally sound and responsible building. Phil Aarons and Millennium Partners have been invaluable contributors to the resurgence of Lower Manhattan and I thank them for their continued commitment."
The 340,000-square-foot tower, located on Battery Park City's site 2A on West Street and First Place, will offer 236 condominium apartments and sit adjacent to another one of Millennium's projects, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences New York, Battery Park. This is the fourth "green building" to be constructed in Battery Park City.
Millenium Tower Residences
The Millennium Tower Residences, which will have panoramic views of the Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty and the Financial District, will be completed at the end of 2006. The project was designed by Handel Architects, who is also the designated designer for the World Trade Center Site Memorial. Like Battery Park City's The Solaire, Tribeca Green and The Verdesian, Millennium Tower Residences will be built according to the Battery Park City Authority's pioneering Residential Environmental Guidelines.
In terms of efficiency, the Millennium Tower Residences will use energy strategies that allow the building to be 25 percent more efficient than current New York State codes. These strategies will lower monthly utility costs for owners and include advanced mechanical systems for the entire building, as well as solar rooftop panels to lessen outside electricity needs. The tower roof garden also will be landscaped to capture and recycle rainwater for re-use in irrigation.
Materials, including flooring, paint, wallboard and electric fixtures, will be chosen based on low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which have been identified as allergens. Externally, the building will rely heavily on recyclable construction materials, including steel, wood and even concrete drawn primarily from local sources to reduce energy and transportation costs.Each unit will receive fresh ducted air that has been adjusted for desired year-round humidity levels and that has been filtered to remove 85 percent of all particulates from the outside, reducing soot and airborne toxins. With its innovative water use reduction strategies, including on-site recycling of waste water to supply flush water for toilets, the Millennium Tower Residences will use 33 percent less water than a comparable non-green building.
Battery Park City Authority
The Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority is a public benefit corporation created by the New York State Legislature in 1968 to develop a 92-acre site at the southwestern tip of Lower Manhattan. Parcels are leased to developers who build in accordance with BPCA guidelines, which now incorporate "green" provisions mandating state-of-the-art environmental specifications to maximize energy efficiency and minimize water usage, among other provisions.
