Russell C. Albanese, president of Albanese Organization, Inc. will be honored Thursday at the Queens Botanical Garden Annual Rose Ball for his work in sustainable development.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer will be among the distinguished guests to celebrate Albanese’s significant contributions to the “green” community, highlighted by his firm’s development of The Solaire, the nation’s first environmentally sustainable residential tower, located in lower Manhattan.
QBG will break ground on its own green projects — a visitor/administration building, a horticulture/maintenance building, and accompanying landscapes in the next year.
QBG’s newest addition will be a showcase demonstration project for sustainable development for New York City’s High Performance Building Guidelines. QBG’s goal for this project is to achieve the highest rating (platinum) in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design system. Developed by the U.S. Green Buildings Council, the LEED system is a nationally recognized standard for sustainability that guides every aspect of planning, design, construction, and operations.
Albanese Organization is earning broad acclaim for its dedication to energy efficiency, air quality, water conservation and preservation of the Earth’s other natural resources. The Solaire has been recognized as a model for global sustainable development. Albanese recently received the Environmental Business Leadership Award from the Earth Day New York and the Natural Resources Defense Council for its work on The Solaire, which was showcased by the U.S. Department of Energy at the Sustainable Building 2002 Conference in Oslo, Norway. The Solaire was also the launch site for an international initiative on sustainable building guidelines by the Battery Park City Authority and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, now President of the Green Cross International.
The Solaire is environmentally engineered to consume 35 percent less energy, reduce peak demand for electricity by 65 percent, require 50 percent less potable water, provide its residents with healthier indoor air quality and offer substantially more natural light than typical residential buildings.
“Mr. Albanese and the Albanese Organization have helped blaze the way for our green project and for the future of sustainable, more environmentally appropriate, design and construction,” said Susan Lacerte, executive director of Queens Botanical Garden. “Both he and the garden share a vision of sustainability in the new century, and we are delighted that he has allowed us to honor him at this year’s Rose Ball gala. We salute Russell Albanese and all associated with the creation of the first green residential high-rise in New York City.”
Sylvia Weprin Feinstein, a member of the Queens Botanical Garden’s Board of Trustees and longtime friend of Albanese, will award him the distinction at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Queens Botanical Garden in the Cherry Circle at 43-50 Main St. in Flushing. The evening’s sponsors include Con Edison Co. of New York, HSBC Bank USA, M&T Bank, Cook & Krupa, Inc., Cord Meyer Development LLC, JPMorgan Chase, New York Hospital Queens, and the Rotary Club of Flushing, as well as the Albanese Organization, Inc. All proceeds benefit the Garden’s operations and programs.
For more information regarding tickets, silent auction, and raffles, call 718-886-3800, Ext. 213. Corporate tables are also available.
