Lettire Construction Corp. completed construction on Castle Gardens, located at 625 West 140th St. in Harlem. The building, on track for LEED-NC Gold Certification, provides 114 affordable units, including 50 studio apartments and 13 larger units for homeless individuals and families with incarceration histories. Lettire served as general contractor on the $40.5 million project, which was co-developed by The Fortune Society, a non-profit organization, and Jonathan Rose Cos., LLC. The 11-story building was designed by Curtis + Ginsberg Architects. It also includes 20,000 s/f of office, meeting and supportive service space. Environmentally-friendly features include an extensive green roof that utilizes a rainwater harvesting system, while also providing views of the Hudson River. Aluminum solar shades are employed on the building's south façade and materials free of toxic ingredients are used throughout the building.
"Castle Gardens sets a new standard for green affordable and supportive housing in the region," said Nick Lettire, president of Lettire Construction Corp. "We are honored to be a part of this project, which was a successful collaboration between many private foundations and public agencies."
This year, Lettire Construction Corp., and its development arm, Urban Builders Collaborative, have added over 650 units of sustainable, affordable and supportive housing in the city. These developments consist of many of the city's and state's newest, eco-friendly, top-quality residential, retail and community-focused properties. Among the most notable, is Via Verde, a 222-unit high-profile mixed-use complex in the Bronx that won New York City's first juried design competition for affordable and sustainable housing.
As both a developer and construction company, Lettire taps into a broad range of services and capabilities for each project. Lettire's work on these developments and in this arena has become the benchmark for other developers and builders focusing on building, sustainable, affordable multifamily properties, both on time and on budget. The firm attributes its success to its proactive, hands-on approach to its work, its commitment to excellence, long-standing relationships with leaders in the industry including nonprofit developers, financial institutions, government agencies, design and engineering professionals, and a reliable pool of subcontractors and vendors.
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