At Toren, Even the Parking Goes Green
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…
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]
yellow cabs are going hybrid also- mandated by 2011.
Now if only the limos were banned!!(hello Mayor Mike)
Too bad your hybrid will get T-boned by a cab racing off the Manhattan Bridge.
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.
Toren = fantasy island
on an unrelated note –does anyone know what Honda appears in the foreground?
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.
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?
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.
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.