Lettire Construction Corp. completes 114-unit Castle Gardens at 625 West 140th St. in Harlem

This summer, East Harlem-based Lettire Construction Corporation, one of the largest, premier builders and developers of affordable and supportive housing in the region, completed construction of Castle Gardens, located at 625 West 140th St. The building, on track for LEED-NC Gold Certification, consists of 114 affordable units, including 50 supportive studio apartments and 13 larger units for homeless individuals and families with incarceration histories. Lettire served as general contractor on the project, which was co-developed by The Fortune Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the fabric of communities by promoting successful prisoner reentry, and Jonathan Rose Companies, LLC. Castle Gardens is adjacent to the five-story, not-for-profit Fortune Academy, known as "The Castle," a nationally recognized residence which provides transitional housing for homeless individuals recently released from prison. Designed by Curtis + Ginsberg Architects, the new 11-story building will allow The Fortune Society to significantly expand its programming and housing opportunities by offering permanent housing to clients and other low-income members of the community. The building also includes 20,000 s/f of office, meeting and supportive service space for residents and community groups. Environmentally-friendly features at Castle Gardens include an extensive green roof that utilizes a rainwater harvesting system, while also providing magnificent views of the Hudson River for residents to enjoy. Aluminum solar shades are employed on the building's south facade and materials free of toxic ingredients are used throughout the building. Lettire Construction Corporation, founded by brothers Nick and Gerard Lettire over 30 years ago, attributes its success to their 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. The company has already added over 750 units to this sector in 2010 alone.