A new urban vision became reality today in Harlem with the opening of David & Joyce Dinkins Gardens. The building, residences for foster care graduates and low-income families, was co-developed by Jonathan Rose Companies and Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement (HCCI) to promote a better quality of life for its residents with community gardens, job training for youth and multiple green building features. Dinkins Gardens, Harlem’s first green building that is 100 percent for low-income residents, demonstrates that environmentally responsible design can work within an affordable housing budget, and that residents can reinforce green aspects of the site.
David & Joyce Dinkins Gardens is located at 263 West 153rd Street in Harlem. Of the building’s 85 apartments, 26 are designated for youth aging out of foster care, with the remaining apartments for low-income households earning less than 60 percent of the area median income. HCCI, a non-profit interfaith consortium of more than 90 different congregations, will maintain ownership and management of the building. David & Joyce Dinkins Gardens will also include classroom space for HCCI’s Construction Trades Academy, a training and job placement program that provides Harlem residents with access to careers in the construction industry.
Green features of Dinkins Gardens include:
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Solar Shades on the south façade. Exterior sun shading on the south facing exposure keeps apartments cooler in the summer.
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A Green Grid Roof system in which a portion of the roof is planted, provided by a grant from the Home Depot Foundation.
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Individually ventilated apartments reduce the mixing of air betweenunits, for better indoor air quality. Fresh air is drawn in continuously through window trickle vents and expelled horizontally through voids in the concrete plank.
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Energy Star-Rated Appliances and Light Fixtures provide additional savings to both the residents and owner of the building.
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A Rainwater Harvesting System funnels water from the roof in storage tanks to be used for irrigation, reducing utility costs and stormwater run-off.
Related: NY1
Jet Blue Launches “One Thing That’s Green”
JetBlue Airways is challenging New Yorker’s to do “One Thing That’s Green” on Saturday, April 19th from 9am-4:30pm at Thomas Jefferson Park in East Harlem to help build awareness of the environment and make NYC a little greener.
Five hundred volunteers are being sought to help with beautification and to plant 250 trees as part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and New York Restoration Project’s MillionTreesNYC campaign to plant one million trees in the city in the next 10 years. To register to volunteer go to www.onethingthatsgreen.com Along with 106.7 Lite fm, the three organizations are teaming up to improve East Harlem’s environment by planting trees to help moderate climate, improve air quality, harbor wildlife, and add to the beautification of the neighborhood that will last a lifetime.
The day long festivities will kick off promptly at 9am with check in at Thomas Jefferson Park located at 114th and Pleasant Avenue in Manhattan rain or shine. WLTW’s Christine Nagy will kick off the action packed day filled with tree plantings, giveaways, surprises and much more. Volunteers will be divided into teams and dispersed along 10 blocks on Pleasant Avenue planting 250 trees and flowers during the day. Special guests will stop by to help encourage the volunteers and the day will conclude with fun activities and special remarks by Power 105.1’s Ed Lover.
To sign up to be a volunteer log on to www.onethingthatsgreen.com
sahara
April 2, 2008
YEAHHHHH BUDDY! Now some of my kids from the system can grow up! I wanna volunteer to counsel for Dinkin’s project!