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April 28, 2008

At Toren, Even the Parking Goes Green

hybrid%20at%20toren.jpg
The New York Times name-checked Toren (a Brownstoner advertiser) in an article this weekend about the growing trend of developers using green features as a marketing tool. It used to be, even if developers used green building techniques, they weren't mentioned because "buyers associated that type of construction with lower-quality design or a lack of comfort." Now, green is the new black in New York City (though we doubt the same will be true for clothes, except on St. Patrick's Day). “There’s no question green adds a competitive advantage," Donald Capoccia, managing principal of Toren developer BFC Partners, told the Times. His development (where 15 of 240 units have sold since going on sale earlier this month) is aiming for gold LEED certification, second only to platinum in the environmental design rating system. And while the city dilly-dallies about finding a location for new power plants (there are currently none in the pipeline), Toren's energy will be supplied by five on-site 100-kilowatt generators. The green-focus doesn't end there for the building. In the hierarchy of parking lots, there once was only two categories: handicap and non-handicap. Toren has added one more: Hybrid. Bill Ross, director of Development Marketing at Halstead Brooklyn, told us hybrid vehicles will "get premiere parking so they don't have to wait as long" in the new parking garage, which is on the second and third floor (and not underground) because of an abandoned train station below. Take that, gas guzzlers!
When to Shout ‘Eco-Friendly’ [NY Times]
Closing Bell: Could The Toren Land the Mac Store? [Brownstoner]
SOM-designed Toren About to Hit the Market [Brownstoner]




Posted by sarah ryley at 10:01 AM | Comments (23)
Categories: Condos, Development, Downtown Brooklyn, Environmental, Trends

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Comments

brownstoner throws rocks at other developments literally across the street, but this one... I'm almost hoping that it's the intern subbing again today?

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 10:28 AM

Of course. Double standard. Didn't you notice that the development is an advertiser (as noted in write-up)?

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 10:36 AM

I wonder if the self-generated electricity is more or less expensive than from the city grid. Does anyone know?

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 11:03 AM

It is getting rather silly on the front page, as the most prominent advertisers are the EDGE, the TOREN, and the VIEW. All of them going for the mondo condo MCM-revival upscale crowd.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 11:07 AM

I guess it's a matter of Don't Shit Where You Eat.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 11:11 AM

I love the concept, design and idea of the Toren. Now if only the peripheral 20 block circle didnt look like downtown Kabul, they might attract serious buyers. The ENTIRE surrounding area is SO run down, bleak and depressed. And no, Mytrle Ave "gentrification" has not happened to the scale this project needs.

Yet.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 11:54 AM

I couldn't tell you why, but I actually like this design. Something eyecatching about it.

I'll add that the yellow and black addition to lower manhattan skyline (William Beaver?) has proven to be a pleasant surprise.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 11:56 AM

on-site power generation is generally much more efficient than the grid. Usually the generators are running on natural gas, which produces far less harmful emissions, and since the generators are owned and operated by the developer, there is great incentive for them to fun efficiently. On-site power generation can deliver electricity at many times the efficiency of the grid (27% percent efficient, in the US).

Finally, why would brownstoner have any interest in shouting the benefits of an un-green developer across the street?

Posted by: Clinton Hillster at April 28, 2008 12:12 PM

it should be less expensive. you're saving in two ways: one, because its far more efficient (a whole lot of energy is lost to resistance even when it only has to travel a few blocks over the wires to get to your house), and two, because that resistance generates heat that otherwise goes unused. cogen actually harnesses that heat for use in the building-- i believe in the case of toren, its enough for everybody's hot water and laundry and dishwashers, etc.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 12:26 PM

on an unrelated note --does anyone know what Honda appears in the foreground?

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 12:34 PM

Toren = fantasy island

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 12:36 PM

This is idiotic. Hybrid cars create just as much congestion and are just as anti-urban as non-hybrid cars. If the developer cared about the environment at all, they would have provided no parking whatsoever.

Posted by: zinka at April 28, 2008 12:36 PM

Too bad your hybrid will get T-boned by a cab racing off the Manhattan Bridge.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 12:37 PM

yellow cabs are going hybrid also- mandated by 2011.
Now if only the limos were banned!!(hello Mayor Mike)

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 12:51 PM

Time to ban the Town Car in NYC

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 1:14 PM

12:36 - You are right that hybrids are as anti-urban as non-hybrids. But the parking garage is not being touted at "urban" it's being touted as "green" and you can't argue that hybrids emit fewer harmful emissions that standard cars. Also, I don't know the specific zoning of this site, but for many of the Flatbush Ave development sites, a parking garage is actually required by zoning. So you should really blame that garage on the City Planning department, not on the developer.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 1:18 PM

By the time Toren is finished, how closely do we think it will resemble the fantasy rendering above?

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 1:53 PM

By the time Toren is finished it will be possible to train albino monkeys to park the hybrids.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 2:19 PM

1:18: Forte has the same zoning as Toren (both are C6-4 and in the Special Downtown Brooklyn District) and was built with no parking at all.

Posted by: zinka at April 28, 2008 4:15 PM

Woe, woe, woe, ABANDONED TRAIN STATION?
That area is conspicuously lacking a line (unless you walk over to Dekalb). What abandoned line? Any talk of it reopening?

That'll cut back on car congesting, mister!

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 5:24 PM

I love looking at pictures of the Toren, makes Flatbush look like Miami Beach. For all of the losers who are going to buy here, good luck getting grocerys oh yea thats right you are going order from that green grocer Fresh Direct, with all there microwavable food in their plastic packaging delivered by a big truck. Any way be careful walking up Flatbush to a train station it is a freakin highway there. O crap I am wrong again you are going to have your green Town Car pick you up because this building is located in FUCKIN HELL.

Posted by: guest at April 28, 2008 5:46 PM

The abandoned train station is on an active line; the stop was between the DeKalb stop and the Manhattan Bridge. It was abandoned because they put some switches there, and it was pretty close to the Willoughby entrance to DeKalb anyway.

Posted by: zinka at April 28, 2008 5:58 PM

yar take a look out the window of the B or Q after passing dekalb on the way to manhattan... old tiles are still there, and at times the lights are on on the platform

Posted by: guest at April 29, 2008 9:26 AM

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