Project of the Month: Home Leasing’s Charlotte Square Apartments joins downtown living with future-focused design

Charlotte Square Apartments - Rochester, NY

Rochester, NY Home Leasing, LLC is the owner and developer of Charlotte Square Apartments, located in the city’s eclectic East End neighborhood. Home Leasing has long been motivated by the needs of residents and communities to develop, construct and manage high quality housing options, as envisioned by their CEO and chairman, Nelson Leenhouts, veteran real estate developer and former co-CEO and co-chairman of Home Properties.

Outdoor terrace at Charlotte Square Apartments - Rochester, NY

Over 134,000 s/f of sustainably-designed construction, the community will feature 72 market-rate apartments with access to unique amenities and communal gathering spaces. These spaces include a community room with prep kitchen, fireplace and media center, a roof-top terrace with an industrial grill, TV and fire pit, a CrossFit-inspired fitness center, sound-proof music practice room and secure parking on the ground floor.

Site placement in this trendy neighborhood provides residents the convenience of living without a car. Charlotte Square Apartments is in walking and biking distance of popular restaurants, favored grocers and markets, shopping and a wide variety of entertainment and festivals that attract global attention. Adding to the convenience, rental payments will be all-inclusive, covering the cost for utilities as well as cable TV and fiber-optic Internet.

Community Room at Charlotte Square Apartments - Rochester, NY

Through a collaborative effort with SWBR Architects, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and Home Leasing Services, Home Leasing’s construction management company, Charlotte Square Apartments will achieve the U.S. Green Building Council LEED for Homes and Multifamily Midrise BD+C Silver designation. This achievement represents the fulfillment of an early vision, goal, and commitment to sustainable construction and is a natural outgrowth of Home Leasing’s focus on the environment through the application of green building principles and practices.

Some examples of this sustainable design:

• 93,800 kwh PV solar panel system on the roof top is projected to supply an estimated 50% of the buildings electricity requirements, reduce commodity cost, and decrease greenhouse gases;

• Plenty of green outdoor space to provide a natural environment that helps regulate air quality, recharge groundwater supply and protect from polluted runoff water;

• Secure bicycle storage room and a car charging station to provide alternative transportation options and reduce pollution sources;

• Fixtures selected to conserve water and energy;

• Low and no-VOC paints and adhesives for better indoor air quality;

• Apartments include private outdoor space, promoting urban gardening; and

• Local quality materials and contractors to promote economic development and sustainability without cutting corners, to ensure residents will enjoy a safe, healthy environment for many years to come.

From concept to operation, Home Leasing’s mission is to improve the lives of their residents. By specializing in development, construction and management Home Leasing can ensure every element is addressed with precision and detail. This strong commitment to their core values, their residents and their neighborhoods has catalyzed their pursuit of becoming a certified Benefit Corporation, thereby allowing them to operate in a manner that increases shareholder value, creates positive impacts on stakeholders, and reduces negative externalities on the environment.