Thin Flat in Northern LibertiesSeventeen developments from throughout the Americas have been announced as finalists in this year’s Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Awards for Excellence. Philly’s very own Onion Flats has been recognized for their Thin Flats project, an eight-unit infill development in Northern Liberties that uses solar hot water heating, green roofing, and rainwater harvesting to reduce energy consumption by an estimated 50 percent.
The winner will be announced April 16 in Boston during ULI’s Real Estate Summit at the Spring Council Forum.
A complete list of nominees, after the jump.
Andares, Guadalajara, Mexico (Desarrolladora Mexicana de Inmuebles S.A.)Andares, one of the largest private investments in Mexico in 2009, is an open-air mixed-use complex that features a 197-store shopping center, nine apartment towers, two office buildings, and a luxury hotel.
Bethel Commercial Center, Chicago, Illinois (Bethel New Life) Located in a low-income neighborhood on the west side of Chicago, Bethel Commercial Center is a mixed-use transit center equipped with retail space, employment offices, a bank, and a daycare center, allowing residents to drop off and pick up children and get to and from work, all without the use of a car.
Bethesda Row, Bethesda, Maryland (Federal Realty Investment Trust)Bethesda Row—a pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use district with 182 luxury apartments, a strong mix of national and local retailers and restaurants, and 187,000 square feet of office space—creates a lively downtown destination adjacent to mass transit in Bethesda, Maryland.
Bywater Art Lofts, New Orleans, Louisiana (HRI Properties) Formerly a vacant and blighted garment factory, Bywater Art Lofts provides affordable rental housing and exhibit space for artists, in an effort to draw the creative class back to a post-Katrina New Orleans.
Columbia Heights, Washington, DC (The Government of the District of Columbia) Arising from a city-led initiative to revitalize a neighborhood destroyed in the riots following Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination, Columbia Heights features 1.2 million square feet of new development, including more than 600 housing units, 650,000 square feet of large-format and community retail, and refurbished cultural and public spaces.
Foundry Square, San Francisco, California (Equity Office Properties Trust/Glenborough Foundry Square) Foundry Square is a four-building, 1.6-million-square-foot commercial development in San Francisco’s Transbay District that revitalizes an area that historically lacked pedestrian street life and significant public open space.
LA Live, Los Angeles, California (AEG) The $2.5 billion LA Live is a 5-million-square-foot entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles, creating a 24-hour destination and sparking further private development in a formerly underdeveloped area of the city.
Madison at 14th Apartments, Oakland, California (Affordable Housing Associates) The product of a complex and successful public-private financing scheme, Madison at 14th Apartments provides 79 affordable units for families and former foster youth in Oakland, California.
Merrill Gardens and Cordyon Apartments, Seattle, Washington (Merrill Gardens/SRM Development) Establishing a model for intergenerational living, Merrill Gardens and Corydon Apartments combine 123 independent and assisted living senior apartments and 103 market-rate apartments on an underutilized site near the University of Washington.
National Association of Realtors Headquarters, Washington, DC (NAR) Situated on a narrow triangular site, the sleek and energy-efficient National Association of Realtors Headquarters has transformed a former brownfield on a key parcel near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.
The Piers, San Francisco, California (San Francisco Waterfront Partners) One of the largest surviving pier complexes in San Francisco, the meticulously rehabilitated Piers includes 66,000 square feet of office space, 18,000 square feet of premier restaurants and retail, and publicly-accessible marina and dock area.
South Campus Gateway, Columbus, Ohio (Campus Partners for Community Urban Redevelopment/The Druker Company) The product of a public-private partnership among The Ohio State University, the City of Columbus, and neighborhood stakeholders, South Campus Gateway—with extensive neighborhood retail, 88,000 square feet of office space, a cinema, and dozens of restaurants and cafes—transforms a 7.5-acre blighted site in an attempt to reconnect the university campus with an adjacent low-income neighborhood.
Sundance Square, Fort Worth, Texas (Sundance Square Management) The culmination of a 25 year development process, Sundance Square is a 38-block mixed-use district in the heart of Fort Worth that has used pedestrian-friendly design to regenerate the downtown and stem suburban flight.
Thin Flats, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Onion Flats) Certified LEED for Homes Platinum, Thin Flats is an eight-unit infill development in north Philadelphia that uses solar hot water heating, green roofing, and rainwater harvesting to reduce energy consumption by an estimated 50 percent.
UNO Veterans Memorial School Campus, Chicago, Illinois (United Neighborhood Organization) The LEED-Gold UNO Veterans Memorial School Campus reconfigures an abandoned warehouse into two elementary schools and a high school under a single roof, alleviating the severe overcrowding issues experienced at Archer Heights’ schools at half the cost of a traditional school.
Vancouver Convention Centre West, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (BC Pavilion Corporation) Knitted into the urban fabric of Vancouver’s downtown core, the 1.2-million-square-foot Vancouver Convention Centre West establishes an important link the city’s park system, connecting to the existing harbor greenbelt with a major civic plaza and a six-acre living roof—one of the largest in Canada.
The Visionaire, New York, New York (Albanese Organization) The 35-story Visionaire—combining 247 residences, an organic and local food market, and a 44,000-square-foot maintenance facility—has achieved LEED-Platinum certification through the use of geothermal wells, photovoltaic solar panels, an on-site blackwater treatment plant, and a natural gas-fired microturbine.
