LeFrak Celebrates Major Milestone in Ongoing Capital Improvement Program
The West Courtyard facility, located at the corner of Junction Boulevard and 57th Ave. in New York, is officially opened.
By Andie Lowenstein, Associate Editor
New York–A significant milestone was celebrated Wednesday at LeFrak City.
The West Courtyard facility, located at the corner of Junction Boulevard and 57th Ave., is officially opened following a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday morning. The first phase of the residential community’s new outdoor amenities was fully transformed into a vibrant recreation area with two multi-purpose athletic courts and a landscaped seating area.
“My family built this property more than 50 years ago and it was due for a total overhaul,” Jamie Lefrak, president at LeFrak, told MHN.
Designed by nationally recognized Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, With 39,200 square feet of space located partially over an underground parking garage, the courtyard has been planted with a variety of trees and shrubs, paved walkways, and a seating area with benches and picnic tables for relaxing and socializing. The courts are equipped to accommodate a range of sports, including tennis and basketball. Construction of phase two, which will bring a brand new playground, is already underway.
“There’s nothing like this in the New York area. There’s no 5,000-apartment community that has this much backyard. We have room for every possible outdoor amenity and what we’ll see in the coming years is other ones,” LeFrak said.
The renovation also brought important upgrades to infrastructure, including the single largest residential solar installation in the city. Upgrades also include the installation of permeable pavers for better drainage, ADA ramps for handicapped accessibility and energy efficient LED lighting. The West Courtyard joins all renovated common areas at LeFrak City with connection to the new campus-wide security system to ensure residents’ safety.
The opening of the West Courtyard is a major milestone in LeFrak’s multi-million dollar Master Plan for Renewal and Modernization program at LeFrak City. The program consists of an inspired redesign of the outdoor facilities and landscaping across the entire property. The next step for Mathews Nielsen’s design is major changes to the Central and East courtyards that will help open up views, expand and improve green space, enhance access and energy efficiency, and upgraded amenities such as a new pool, additional playgrounds and other family-friendly facilities.
LeFrak is continuing renovations to the building entrances, lobbies, hallways, central laundry rooms and garages, and is investing heavily in improvements to infrastructure and energy efficiency, among other main areas.
