News

Phase One of the Peninsula, an affordable mixed-use housing development in the Bronx, is implementing a zero-waste strategy. As reported in Building Design + Construction and The Real Deal, the plan covers ways that both residents of the 740 residential units and commercial tenants can reduce and repurpose waste. Each residential unit will include under-the-counter bins for recycling and a caddy for food waste, and refuse rooms on each floor will provide designated containers for recycling by type of material, food waste, and small-item hazardous waste like batteries and sharps so that they are kept out of general waste. On the commercial side, food waste will be processed into fertilizer using a dry aerobic bio-digester. The commercial structure also provides refrigerated storage space so that the onsite food incubator can store leftovers for delivery to local food banks rather than dispose of the food as waste. Consultants will help train building staff on the waste reduction processes and will provide software to track progress toward zero-waste.

Yesterday firm partner Christine A. Coletta served as a panelist for the Women in Housing & Finance – New York 2022 Women’s Executive Roundtable, a conversation with six women executives working in housing and housing finance from the architecture, development, finance, government, law, and non-profit sectors.

The virtual event was designed to give attendees opportunities to speak directly with Christine and fellow panelists Satpal Founder Satpal Kaur, L+M Development Senior Director Elaine Braithwaite, Wells Fargo Managing Director Page Travelstead, NYCHDC Executive Vice President of Development Ruth Moreira, and BRC Chief Real Estate Development Officer Nicole Clare. After brief introductions, panelists rotated among smaller attendee groups for 10-minute sessions in which topics including career paths, mentorship, diversity, professional communications, and leadership style were discussed freely and openly.

“I have always been a strong advocate of affordable housing, and passionate about the idea that healthy communities are only possible when people are afforded the opportunity to have safe, clean, affordable housing,” said Christine. “I feel very lucky that I can put my hands on a lot of the buildings that clients have built over the years. I can go visit and talk with people who’ve moved into communities and see the groups that occupy the spaces in leases I’ve negotiated. It’s very easy as a lawyer to get wrapped up in paperwork, to drown in words and numbers. In this industry, there’s a real tangible effect of the work that we do, and that is completely the result of the amazing community of people doing this work.”

Multi-Housing News‘ recent article “Affordable Housing Development Pushes On” explores the current state of affordable housing and ways that existing hurdles can be overcome to deliver much-needed developments. The author cites Sendero Verde as an example of “innovative projects that will serve the community in multiple ways,” noting the mixed-use project’s “709 affordable units, a Pre-K through eighth grade school, a community art center and ground-floor retail.” Sendero Verde is also on track to become the largest certified multifamily passive house project in the United States.

As reported in New York YIMBY, 100% affordable housing development Santaella Gardens recently had its grand opening. Developed by Acacia Network and Phipps Houses, the 249-unit building will provide housing for individuals and households earning between 30-90% of area median income (AMI). Twenty-five units will be set aside for the formerly homeless. The 12-story building was designed by Dattner Architects to meet Passive House standards. The development is named for Justice Irma Vidal Santaella, a champion of housing as a human right and the first Puerto Rican woman to serve as a New York Supreme Court Justice. HSE served as deal counsel to Phipps Houses.

The 2022 Women in Housing and Finance New York Executive Roundtable on March 30 will include HSE partner Christine A. Coletta, who will provide insights into both New York City housing development and her experiences in the legal profession. Christine will be joined by Satpal Kaur, the Founder & Design + Building Science Principal at Satpal; Elaine Braithwaite, Senior Director at L+M Development Partners, Inc.; Page Travelstead, Managing Director at Wells Fargo; Ruth Moreira, Executive Vice President of Development for the New York City Housing Development Corporation; and Jennifer Sun, Co-Executive Director for Asian Americans for Equality. More information and tickets are available at Women in Finance and Housing New York’s website.

Recently opened in November 2021, the West 108th Street supportive housing complex developed by West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH) has already been hailed as a “roadmap” for the approach New York City should follow to address the current affordable housing crisis.” The complex is comprised of two buildings: a newly constructed, 199-unit affordable housing residential building, and a 110-bed state-of-the-art homeless shelter developed specifically for older New Yorkers that provides assistance in transitioning to permanent housing. Residents enjoy protected outdoor space, laundry room, bike storage, WiFi, and a staffed lobby. A community space will open soon for local events; it will also provide a federally-qualified walk-in health center. More project details and photos are available on Patch.com. HSE served as deal counsel to (WSFSSH).