A spectacular green community hub has opened its doors in East Harlem. Leading local community members, celebrities, and city officials gathered yesterday to celebrate the grand opening of The East Harlem Center for Living and Learning, a LEED Gold-seeking mixed-use development made possible through public-private partnerships. The $84 million energy-efficient center offers residential, office, and educational space all outfitted with low-emitting, recycled, and locally produced materials.
Located at the Washington Houses, the 143,000-square-foot multifamily development comprises 88 affordable housing units, a 54,000-square-foot home for the DREAM Charter School, and 6,000 square feet of office space for the nonprofit Harlem RBI. The East Harlem Center for Living and Learning project also features a newly renovated Blake Hobbs public park. Designed by Perkins Eastman, the building is expected to received a LEED Gold rating for its use of sustainable systems and materials, which include energy-efficient boilers, low-VOC paint, low-e windows, recycled and locally produced materials, and easy access to public transportation.
Related: 12-acre Innovation District looks to revitalize Red Hook, Brooklyn
The K-8 public charter school includes a full chef’s kitchen, a “gymnatorium” made largely from repurposed wood, and an outdoor area with a garden. The 80,000-square-foot, 11-story affordable housing complex comprises 18 studios, 41 one-bedroom units, 25 two-bedroom units, and four three-bedroom units as well as access to an exercise room, bike storage room, computer room, social service office, laundry facilities, and a landscaped terrace. The affordable housing units are rented through NYC Housing Connect, an Open Lottery System, and are designated for low-income households earning less than 60 percent of the area median income.
Via Group Gordon
Images via Group Gordon, © Paul Rivera, Patrick Kolts
