A 1.6 million-square-foot (150,000-square-meter) industrial area along the harborfront in Copenhagen, Denmark, that is currently being transformed into a new urban development that at buildout will include between 800 and 1,200 residential units and almost 10.5 million square feet (975,000 square meters) of commercial space. The project not only is an innovative example of how a significant postindustrial, brownfield remediation was accomplished through a process that was self-financing, but also is projected to net a handsome financial return of approximately DKK225 million, or approximately US$32 million.
Located in Buffalo, New York, the Artspace Buffalo Lofts is an affordable housing project for artists that includes 60 live/work units and 9,795 square feet (910 sq m) of ground-floor commercial space. A renovated warehouse contains 36 of the units as well as the commercial space, the additional 24 residences are housed in six new buildings directly east of the rehabilitated structure. The commercial space provides a venue for residents and the greater Buffalo arts community to gather, network, and host events and showings.
Port Credit Village–a 27.2-acre (11-hectare) mixed-use, mixed-income town center–has reclaimed an underutilized industrial site on Lake Ontario, 20 minutes from downtown Toronto, in Mississauga, Ontario. The project joins two formerly separated sides of the suburban village of Port Credit, connecting it with a restored waterfront and providing a gentle transition from high-rise development on the west to single-family housing on the east. Completed in 2005, Port Credit Village contains 410 residential units, 30,000 square feet (2,838 square meters) of retail and office space, and 1,300 parking spaces, approximately 1,200 of which are underground or enclosed. Eighteen of the dwellings are live/work units in a townhouse arrangement. The commercial component of these units forms a pedestrian corridor. Located just blocks from a commuter rail station, Port Credit complements the province’s smart growth initiative by intensifying pedestrian-oriented suburban development along a major transportation corridor and upgrading a longstanding village retail hub.
Euclid Terraces is a 3.2-acre (1.3-ha) mixed-use project located in Oak Park, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. The project, codeveloped by Focus Development and the Taxman Corporation, comprises 93 residential units–59 condominiums and 34 townhomes–7,091 square feet (659 sq m) of ground-floor retail space, and a 522-space structured parking garage. Spurred by a strong public/private partnership, the $28.5 million development benefited from a rapid absorption rate: 98 percent of the for-sale units were sold before construction began and 100 percent of the apartments and retail space was leased shortly after completion.
The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) new 102,000-square-foot (9,476-square-meter) office building in Washington, D.C., is a 12-story structure that provides space for 100 NAR employees and nine other tenants. A collaborative effort between NAR and developer/builder Lawrence N. Brandt, the elliptical tower was designed to be environmentally friendly. Receiving the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification for advanced environmental performance, the project conserves energy and was constructed with low volatile organic compound (VOC) finishes and sustainably harvested materials. A sophisticated ventilation system responds to CO2 levels and keeps fresh air circulating throughout the structure. The design of the building allows rainwater to be collected on the roof to water landscaping at the street-level plaza.
Glenwood Park is a new urbanist community located two miles (3.2 kilometers) from downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The 328-unit residential development contains single-family homes, townhouses, and condominiums along with 50,850 square feet (4,724 square meters) of retail and 21,000 square feet (1,951 square meters) of office space. Built by Green Street Properties on a site once used for industrial purposes, Glenwood Park lies between reemerging Atlanta neighborhoods and Interstate 20. The 28-acre (11-hectare) project includes a number of sustainable and green building features such as construction waste recycling, graywater irrigation systems, and Energy Star-rated appliances in the homes.
Providing a range of residential options–including high-end residences, social (affordable) housing, and housing for seniors–Meander is a 17,270-square-meter (185,894-square-foot) mixed-use development located in Amsterdam’s Stadsdeel Westerpark along a canal known as Kostverlorenvaart. The result of a public/private partnership, the 278-unit project also includes a restaurant, a gym, a public elementary school, and a public library. The site plan integrates the project’s many uses into one complex while paying homage to the site’s maritime location and its industrial past. The building’s layout curves inward along the canal, allowing more housing units to have views of the water, as well as the formation of two pedestrian streets on the canal side and a private courtyard facing the existing housing.
Set in a historic district in the middle of the city of New Orleans, the American Can Company Apartments is an adaptive use project that has transformed a long-vacant and decaying landmark industrial complex into a vibrant apartment community with neighborhood commercial amenities. The former factory complex now contains 268 apartments,20 percent of which are set aside for low- and moderate-income residents, plus a flexible, 20,000-square-foot (1,858-square-meter) commercial/retail area and parking for 430 cars.
Located along the Mississippi River, West River Commons is a mixed-use project consisting of 53 rental apartments, three for-sale townhomes, and four retail tenants. A public/private project developed by the Lander Group and At Home Apartments, West River Commons opened in 2004 as a key redevelopment on a major Minneapolis, Minnesota, commercial corridor. Through its pedestrian-friendly design, the project connects with the surrounding neighborhood, and a public plaza on site serves as a community focal point.
In Portland, Oregon, a public/private partnership has transformed a brownfield into a community of 600 affordable and market-rate apartments. The Yards is a cornerstone of redevelopment in the city’s rapidly changing River District. The project’s name reflects the history of the site, a rail yard on a strip of land that runs between the train tracks and the Willamette River. The four-phase development, which is entering its final phase, converts a large area affected by industrial contamination into a clean, safe, mixed-income residential neighborhood.
