Leaders at Wartburg Adult Care Community recently were joined by Mount Vernon Mayor Ernest D. Davis and city officials to celebrate Wartburg”™s pioneer achievement in green building construction for multifamily affordable housing.
The Friedrichs Residence, a four-story, 61-apartment building for seniors that opened in early 2013 on the 34-acre Wartburg campus, was certified a LEED for Homes Gold development by the U.S. Green Building Council”™s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design program. City officials said the $11 million campus residence is the first new construction project in Mount Vernon to be LEED-certified.
The building is named to honor long-time Wartburg benefactors, the late Juanita E. and Arthur M. Friedrichs of New Canaan, Conn., whose $1 million bequest provided the project”™s initial funding.
Wartburg officials also secured an Energy Star rating and financial incentives for the project through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority”™s multifamily performance program. Ryan Herchenroether, Wartburg planning director, said “common sense measures” are expected to cut utility costs by 22 percent compared with a typical mid-rise apartment building.
“This really helps ensure the building”™s long-term affordability for both Wartburg and the residents it serves,” he said.
Davis at the city celebration called Wartburg”™s LEED Gold designation “a clear sign of their commitment to the environment. Â Also, this one act has the potential of a ripple effect, which can stabilize cost to the residents and their families.”
David J. Gentner, Wartburg president and CEO, in a statement said the nonprofit nursing home operator and senior services provider “learned a lot from this effort” in sustainable development and “we look forward to bringing the benefits of this experience to other building projects in the future.”
