MAP's Melrose Commons earns LEED-ND Stage II silver cert.

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has awarded LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) Stage II Silver Certification to the South Bronx neighborhood of Melrose Commons. MAP Green, a division of Magnusson Architecture and Planning PC (MAP), and developer, MelRose Associates, LLC, announced the award, which recognizes the sustainable design and redevelopment of a large portion of the Melrose Commons Urban Renewal Area, the first such certification in New York State. "Though the Melrose Commons Urban Renewal Plan was groundbreaking in many respects, we're especially proud that the LEED-ND Silver Stage II Certification recognizes the project for its commitment to sustainable development," said Petr Stand, MAP's principal in charge of planning. Melrose Commons is one of only six projects in the entire State of New York selected to participate in the LEED for Neighborhood Development Pilot Program, and the first to be certified at the Stage II level. "This sets a new standard for the redevelopment of our inner cities." "The LEED for Neighborhood Development program goes beyond individual green buildings and focuses on community-wide design and development" said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "Magnusson Architecture & Planning P.C. is a pioneer in this arena and is ushering in a new era of development of smarter and healthier communities throughout the U.S." Devastated from years of neglect, Melrose Commons lay in shambles by the early 1990s, with vacant lots, abandoned buildings, and one of the highest poverty rates in the U.S. In response to the city's redevelopment plan, which would have resulted in the displacement of residents, a community development organization, Nos Quedamos / We Stay, was formed. Nos Quedamos joined forces in 1992 with MAP, who provided urban planning and design that enabled the grass roots group to create and propose an alternative to the City's plan, one that allowed existing residents to remain and also preserved viable buildings. Working cooperatively with New York City's Departments of City Planning and Housing Preservation & Development, as well as the Bronx Borough President's Office, Nos Quedamos was able to get the Melrose Commons Urban Renewal Plan signed into law in early 1994. "The Melrose Commons Plan is unusual among LEED-ND pilot projects because it is comprised of multiple scattered sites within a larger neighborhood, rather than a continuous development on a single parcel of land," said Christine Hunter, a principal at MAP. "However, we felt strongly that Melrose Commons should be certified because, from the start, the neighborhood-based team was committed to pedestrian-oriented mixed-use, mixed-income development, maintaining open space and incorporating sustainable design and construction techniques. Nos Quedamos was particularly concerned about the creation of healthy indoor and outdoor environments in an area plagued by pollution and high asthma rates." "Long before Green Design was a hot topic in the industry, we recognized its importance to the life of our community. My mother, Yolanda Garcia, founder of Nos Quedamos, fought tirelessly to see sustainable design incorporated into the Urban Renewal Plan as well as the development of each new project in the neighborhood," says Yolanda Gonzalez, executive director of Nos Quedamos. "To be recognized for this dedication, against great odds, is unbelievably rewarding. We hope to set an example for similar communities across the country and around the world." "We have always believed that a well-designed built environment is essential to the life of a sustainable and healthy community, and that good design returns social, environmental and economic benefits to a community's residents and to society-at-large," said Magnus Magnusson. "We are honored that Melrose Commons, which is the embodiment of our environmentally-conscious principles, is being recognized by USGBC." MAP documented the Melrose Commons LEED application in conjunction with Nos Quedamos and Jocelyn Chait, community planner. The firm also recently completed El Jardin de Selene, a mixed-use, affordable housing development located on the corner of Melrose Avenue and East 158th St., which will achieve a LEED Gold rating as well as being NYSERDA Energy Star certified and Enterprise Green Communities compliant.