9. Van Cortlandt Green, North Riverdale
Green design is also being used for senior citizen affordable housing projects. For example, Van Cortlandt Green, an 11-story building located at 6469 Broadway in North Riverdale facing Van Cortlandt Park, provides 86 independent living units. It features energy efficient appliances, a bus stop on the block, and access to the park. It was completed in 2016 and is seeking LEED Silver certification.
As with all affordable housing projects receiving support from the City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the project met the requirements of the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria, a set of green design standards developed by the Enterprise Foundation specifically for affordable housing buildings.
Van Cortlandt Green, which replaced a gas station, was also designed by Dattner Architects. It was developed by Selfhelp Community Services, a non-profit that operates the building and others like it across the metropolitan area.
Others are following this example. In October 2016, a groundbreaking was held for another senior affordable project in Corona, Queens that will be the first senior affordable development in the US built to Passive House standards.