ESG Mixed-Use, Award-Winning Development Project

ALBANY, N.Y., May 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SOUTH END DEVELOPMENT (SED) is excited to announce the adoption of ESG principles as a development company and for its flagship development project, The Seventy-Six, a 246 unit mixed-use development complex located in the South End neighborhood of Albany, New York. The Seventy-Six is the first mixed-use commercial and residential development to meet "Triple Net-Zero" objectives to conserve and generate energy, conserve and cleanse all utilized water, and manage waste streams without landfill contributions. It uses integrated passive and active engineering and design strategies, including tracking photovoltaic arrays and solar thermal arrays with seasonal thermal storage to achieve energy balance. All incident rainwater is harvested, gray water is reused, with constructed wetlands and a moving bed biofilm reactor treating all wastewater. Comprehensive waste management incentivizes reduction, recycling, and separation of waste streams into composting, recycling, and incineration with zero landfill contribution. 

The development plans incorporate biophilic design techniques that allow residents to grow food with a communal greenhouse, urban farming center, wetlands, and an irrigated planter in every housing unit. It will include hands-on learning opportunities, including a STEM training center, and hopes to educate and inspire people to reimagine urban living. The plan also addresses contemporary issues of climate change and housing equity. "SED's foundational principles are rooted in each member of its team, partners, advisors, consultants, and at the core of the company's mission," says Founder Corey Jones.  

"First and foremost, we believe every human should have a safe home, healthy air, clean water, healthy food, and a dynamic environment to thrive," continues Jones. "These are all items that I grew up without." Jones took up the mission after growing up in Albany, New York, just blocks from the project site. He and his older brother Jeremy saw firsthand the harsh realities of growing up in a poverty-stricken urban city. These life experiences fueled Corey and his brother to set forth on a greater mission to help others overcome the same struggles that persist today in the South End. "The Seventy-Six project represents a great vehicle to address some of these critical social issues in this area. SED is also pushing boundaries in sustainable development while being environmentally conscious," says Executive Officer Len Morales Jr.  

SED and partners have gained the attention of The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), who recently presented SED and Garrison Architects with the Buildings of Excellence award. The award recognizes low or zero-carbon multi-family buildings and grants $40 million in funding for the projects. NYSERDA's recognition reaffirms the mission of designing innovative buildings that prove architecture does not need to be compromised when utilizing modern techniques for sustainability. The project's modular construction will increase resource efficiency, lower operation carbon emissions, and the biophilic design features incorporate the inherent beauty of nature into the building. We believe these techniques will regenerate the communal health of the future tenants of the South End and neighborhood, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

SED's vision to revitalize Albany's historic South End neighborhood, where Jones grew up witnessing systemic poverty, inequity, and environmental degradation, is just the start. SED also believes that creating affordable housing which incorporates resource independence and encourages residents to engage with the natural world in their urban environment is vital. Jones and SED believe many other American cities can evolve into habitats for healthy communities in their post-industrial life cycles. These "communities of opportunities" will provide a higher standard of living for historically underserved populations.

Contact:

Len Morales Jr., Executive Officer
310-795-5219 
[email protected]

Related Images

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The Seventy-Six Complex
"Triple Net-Zero" development project in New York.

SOURCE SOUTH END DEVELOPMENT (SED)