11 projects receive Affordable Green Neighborhoods grants from BoA, USGBC

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Bank of America Charitable Foundation has announced the 11 projects selected for the 2014 Affordable Green Neighborhoods (AGN) grant program.

Each of these neighborhood redevelopment projects are pursuing certification under USGBC’s LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system and are notable for their planned affordable housing, compact design, commitment to green building and sites located near transit or other existing amenities.

“Neighborhoods are central to the health and wellbeing of an entire community, and providing affordable, sustainable housing is critical to USGBC’s mission of creating green buildings for all,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “We commend Bank of America for their support and commitment to sustainable communities and applaud this year’s grant recipients for their work to advance neighborhood scale sustainability in their communities.”

This program is funded by a two-year, $500,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Since 2010, these grants have helped to create affordable, sustainable neighborhoods across the country. Each of this year’s projects will receive a $31,000 cash award as well as an educational package to support their pursuit of LEED for Neighborhood Development certification. In addition, five of the grantees will also receive a two-day, in-person technical assistance session with USGBC staff.

“The commitment of these grantees to plan energy efficient, affordable housing is inspiring,” said Alex Liftman, global environmental executive, Bank of America. “We’re pleased to support this initiative that’s helping strengthen our neighborhoods and accelerate the transition to a lower-carbon future.”

LEED for Neighborhood Development integrates the principles of smart growth, new urbanism and green building, while benefitting communities by reducing urban sprawl, increasing transportation choices and decreasing automobile dependence, encouraging healthy living and protecting threatened species.

The 2014 AGN grant recipients are:

Bartlett Place – Roxbury, Mass.
Butler Street Y Lofts – Atlanta, Ga.
Essex Crossing – New York, N.Y.
Faubourg Lafitte – New Orleans, La.
Northwest Gardens – Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Rebuild Potrero – San Francisco, Calif.
Sheppard Square HOPE VI Revitalization – Louisville, Ky.
TNT Eco-Innovation District – Dorchester, Mass.
Villages at Cabrillo – Long Beach, Calif.
West Grand and Brush – Oakland, Calif.
Westview Village – Ventura, Calif.

“The commitment of these grantees to plan energy efficient, affordable housing is inspiring,” said Alex Liftman, global environmental executive, Bank of America. “Bank of America is pleased to support this initiative that’s helping strengthen our neighborhoods and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon energy future.”

The six members of the AGN review committee, who were selected for their industry leadership, represent the perspectives of architecture and design, New Urbanism, smart growth, affordable housing, community development and tax credit financing. In their deliberations, the review committee members evaluated potential projects on several criteria relating to the strength of the project, the financial needs of the project team and the potential value to the community.

Of the 20 projects previously awarded grants, seven have achieved LEED certification thus far. This includes the first LEED ND Platinum certification in the United States (Paseo Verde in Philadelphia), five LEED Silver certifications and one LEED Gold certification. These seven projects represent more than 270 acres of land, including the construction or major renovation of 4,581 dwelling units and nearly 7.875 million gross square feet of development all to the highest standards of sustainability and inclusion. The remaining AGN grant recipients are LEED registered projects working toward completion.

High-interest topics will be covered in technical seminars, including infrared reflective coatings for heat island mitigation, innovative uses of concrete to provide cooling and stormwater management, environmental benefits of polished concrete, and advancements in functional resilience of architectural concrete.

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