WRT, in association with Jonathan Rose Companies and Asociación de Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM) was selected by the City of Philadelphia to develop a 1.9-acre brownfield site adjacent to a SEPTA Regional Rail corridor and its Temple University station -- the fourth busiest stop in the regional transit system. With a mixed-use program focused on affordable and market-rate workforce housing, the Paseo Verde project offers 120 units of sustainable housing for low and moderate income families, approximately 30,000 square feet of ground floor retail and community services, commercial office space, and parking. When finished, Paseo Verde will link residents, workers and students to one of the busiest transit stations outside of Center City, and will represent the culmination of a decade-long planning effort by APM to revitalize the surrounding neighborhood and successfully reintegrate the local community into both the neighboring Temple University campus, as well as the larger urban fabric beyond.
Despite an incredibly tight budget, the project is designed to attain the highest levels of LEED for Homes and Neighborhood Development certification, and aims to serve as a model for sustainable redevelopment in inner-city neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia and beyond. To achieve this goal, the project boasts a variety of sustainable design components including an energy efficient building envelope and MEP systems, a green roof, photovoltaic solar panels, rainwater retention systems, and the use of locally produced, recycled and renewable materials – all helping to provide a sustainable, healthy living environment for the residents of Paseo Verde community, as well as cost savings through effective reduction in both water and energy use.
External Links:
Jonathan Rose Companies write-up of Paseo Verde http://www.rose-network.com
