RiverTrace, Roseland Property’s $120 million luxury project in the Port Imperial development area, has received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The luxury apartment community was celebrated for its energy efficiency, sustainability, and environmentally-friendly design.
The project, which is part of a two-mile stretch of waterfront in West New York and Weehawken that has seen a remarkable transformation over the last two decades, serves as a model of urban redevelopment.
“This part of West New York is very beneficial to our community.” – West New York Mayor Felix
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“This part of West New York is very beneficial to our community,” said West New York Mayor Felix Roque. “It brings new residents and new life here.”
He credited Turner’s vision for helping to integrate the new development without negative impact on the older portions of the city, especially in regard to flow of traffic.
Turner said this project is among the success stories along a Weehawken/West New York waterfront that was mostly vacant two decades ago.
“When Albio Sires became mayor of West New York in 1995, the waterfront was vacant land,” Turner said. “Even in Weehawken that part was 90 percent vacant.”
RiverTrace, a 316 rental unit- apartment building which broke ground in mid-2012, was recognized for its efforts in water conservation, green house gas reduction, and energy performance. Some notable elements include ten new vehicle charging stations, upgraded thermal insulation, and the building’s recycling program, which salvaged or recycled over 75 percent of construction waste.
Sunlight, and energy-saving appliances
According to information supplied by Roseland, over 90 percent of RiverTrace’s regularly occupied space has access to daylight, including each of its 316 apartments. Apartments are equipped with ENERGY STAR appliances, along with advanced water infrastructure designed to reduce consumption by one third. In total, it is estimated that RiverTrace is over 25 percent more efficient than industry standard multi-family dwellings.
“It was a priority for us to utilize the latest offerings in green technology to meet a high standard for sustainable living,” said Andrew Marshall, Roseland’s executive vice president for development. “There’s a tremendous amount of responsibility as a developer and manager not only to create a comfortable and aesthetically-pleasing place to live, but also to mitigate environmental impacts in the process.”
In order to achieve LEED certification – the USGBC’s nationally-accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings – Roseland had to meet the industry’s highest standards for the use of sustainable and renewable resources, minimizing environmental waste and pollution, optimizing indoor air quality, and seeking to reduce or eliminate contact with toxic or hazardous conditions.
RiverTrace, which offers studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments featuring oversized windows to take in views of the Manhattan skyline, is part of the northern edge of Hudson County’s Gold Coast.
“Turner did a great job in planning development there and the way traffic flows,” Roque said.
RiverTrace, which opened in 2013 as a part of $2 billion, 200-acre, master-planned waterfront development along the Hudson River known as Port Imperial, takes advantage also of its close proximity to the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and NY Waterway Ferry. This allows residents to access both Manhattan and business districts elsewhere in Hudson County such as Exchange Place in Jersey City.
The apartments feature Feng Shui elements. Although the concepts behind Feng Shui date back 3,000 years to ancient China, it has become in vogue for modern urban dwellers. Feng Shui dictates the balance of energies within a given space to assure good health and good fortune to the people inhabiting it.
Roque said that projects such as RiverTrace help bolster West New York’s status as part of the Gold Coast and will bring needed tax ratables to town.
RiverTrace takes advantage of its location and the relatively open space of the former industrial waterfront to create open floor plans for its apartments. With bamboo floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and other features attractive to an upscale clientele, the developers say the complex successfully competes with other Gold Coast towns such as Hoboken and Jersey City.
The complex also offers amenities that are expected in upscale development such as a 24-hour concierge, club room, billiard room, package room, cold storage, state-of-the-art fitness center, yoga room, movie theater, children’s play room, and a golf simulator.
An expansive, landscaped outdoor deck overlooking the Hudson River features a pool and hot tub spa, cabanas, day beds, fireplace, barbecue grills, and a water feature.
For more information on RiverTrace, visit www.rivertracepi.com.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.