You know that vast patch of parking lots you see right before you get on the Williamsburg Bridge? Take a good mental picture because it won’t be there for long. Instead, this is the future home of Essex Crossing, a development that will consist of nine mixed-use and mixed-income sites which will effectively reshape the face of the neighborhood. On top of that, the L+M Development Partners project was recently awarded an Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant for their commitment to neighborhood sustainability, making the development an even greater upgrade from the current swath of pavement.
Sponsored by The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Bank of America, the Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program is in its third year of providing support and resources to developers of affordable housing projects seeking LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND) certification. This year, eleven winners were chosen based on their ability to elevate the design and sustainability of an affordable green neighborhood while meeting various environmental and social criteria such as creating a mixed-income community, redeveloping infill and previously developed sites, engaging stakeholders in the development process and revitalizing both the project area and the surrounding community.
Essex Crossing does just that. Not only will each building in the Seward Park mega-project pursue LEED ND certification, but as it is such a large project, the team has the opportunity to provide resources and foster sustainable practices that will envelop an entire neighborhood and improve the quality of life of residents for generations to come. The site-to-be will feature a slew of amenities including garden spaces, shops, a movie theater and The Andy Warhol Museum to name a few, but its sustainability plan is what nabbed the grant, and we are proud to be working with L+M on such an exciting and beneficial project.
