Earth Day is a time for reflection on how to be more environmentally conscious. It was also the best day for Brause Realty and Gotham Organization to break ground on its 35-story rental building in Long Island City, which will be one of the most eco-friendly structures in the neighborhood.
The building at 44-28 Purves St. was designed by FXFowle Architects, the same group behind the massive green roof on the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It will have 272 market-rate rental apartments with a mix of studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments, and various green features, such as generating energy from wind turbines and solar panels.
“We are creating a lot of our own energy, which is going to power a lot of the common areas in the building,” said David Brause, president of Brause Realty, at the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday. “There is a lot of green in this building.”
Additionally, a three-floor “amenities building” will be built in conjunction with the tower on the lot, and that smaller structure will have a green roof with grass and plants.
The project is designed with LEED Silver certification standards, which is the third-highest green level a building can obtain by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The amenities building will have space for a fitness center, yoga studio and a 2,000-square-foot commercial space on the ground floor, which Brause said could be home to a restaurant.
Between the amenities building and the 35-story tower will be a courtyard with seating, a pool with a 50-foot lap lane, a grilling and bar area, and a large weather-resistant movie screen.
In the main 35-floor tower, the ground level will contain the lobby and a mail room, laundry room and a space for a small coffee shop or convenience store. There will be additional common space on the second floor, including a kitchen, fireplace, social areas, a children’s playroom, and a private lounge and conference room with an attached outdoor patio.
Also, on the 35th floor there will be a residents’ lounge with a billiards room, wet bar and an outdoor terrace with views of the Manhattan skyline. There will be a 75-spot parking garage under the building.
Brause Realty acquired the land for 44-28 Purves St. in 2013. The site, which was home to manufacturing firms, is in the state Brownfield Cleanup Program because of contaminated soil. Currently, the toxic soil is being trucked from the site.
Brause said he plans to complete construction on the project in two years.
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