Mercy Corps and ESI Design create sustainable 4,000 s/f ACWH

On October 16, the Action Center to End World Hunger (ACWH) opened on 6 River Terr., Battery Park City in the World Financial district near the Irish Hunger Memorial and the future National September 11 Memorial & Museum (opening in 2011). The Action Center is an interactive public space that inspires and empowers visitors of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures to tackle the global challenges of hunger and poverty. It was built through a partnership between Mercy Corps and ESI Design and aspires to be one of the first commercial interiors in the city to achieve a LEED platinum rating. Mercy Corps was chosen by the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) to create The Action Center as part of NYC's post-9/11 recovery. The center has been given a public amenity lease for 60 years along with a BPCA pledge of $1.25 million in support. Other city organizations supporting the center include The Lower Manhattan Development Corp. through a grant of $1 million, The New York City Council with $250,000, and the mayor's office with $500,000. The center has also received funding from private sources, including Josh and Anita Bekenstein and Best Buy Co, Inc. The 4,000 s/f Action Center is located on the ground floor of Riverhouse, a LEED-certified gold residential development with a range of community-focused storefront neighbors, including Poets House and the New York Public Library. To ensure that the Action Center meets the green standards of its home, ESI Design and Mercy Corps worked with sustainable building consultants Steven Winter Associates, Inc. One of the Action Center's most interesting sustainable design elements is its shelving and furniture, which are made of wood from deconstructed homes that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. These furnishings were produced by the Old City Building Center in New Orleans, a project supported in part by Mercy Corps that provides green collar job training, tax benefits for property owners, and affordable rebuilding resources for consumers.