A Golden Shade Of Green

The Solaire, the first residential high-rise to earn “LEED Gold” status, is not just a premier environmentally friendly building—it’s also a big moneymaker.

1 minute read

November 12, 2006, 1:00 PM PST

By Deborah Myerson

"Rising from the streets of Lower Manhattan is the Solaire, a pioneering green apartment tower that has lurched to the edge of calamity and back. Located a few blocks from the site of the World Trade Center, only the first story had been built on Sept. 11, 2001 when terror attacks struck. Not long afterwards, development financing fell apart as lenders lost confidence in the viability of the residential market in the shaken neighborhood. Finally, financing in the form of Liberty Bonds--public guarantees for housing and commercial projects in Lower Manhattan--brought the Solaire back to life. And just as its doors opened in 2004, the Manhattan rental market took off to reach new heights, making the residential building a lovely blend of green and gold."

FULL STORY: Solaire: A shining beacon of how to build green

Friday, November 10, 2006 in The Globe and Mail

Environment Urban Development New York

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.