New LEED Platinum Apt. Building in Conn. Opens Leasing Office

New Haven, Conn.–Residential leasing has begun at 360 State Street, a new, 32-story mixed-use tower located in downtown New Haven, Conn.

The development comprises 500 apartments atop 22,000 square feet of retail, which will house a grocery store and bicycle shop, and a four-level parking structure. It is located directly across from the State Street Metro North Station, and half-a-mile from the Union Station Metro North Station. The apartment also has a Zipcar sharing program in the parking garage, and outlets for plug-in cars.

The project is the first apartment building in the U.S. to gain Phase II approval for LEED Platinum for Neighborhood Development, according to Bruce Redman Becker, president of Becker +Becker, which is an architectural and development firm that also has an ownership stake in 360 State Street.

The apartments at 360 State Street are a mix of studio, one- and two-bedrooms, and three- bedroom penthouses. All feature open floor plans, Energy Star appliances, stone countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a full-sized washer and dryer. Oversized windows offer views of the city and Long Island Sound.

Potential renters in the area should be well aware of what a LEED certified building is, Becker says, as Yale University has two LEED platinum buildings on campus, as well as the university’s renowned School of Architecture.

Some cutting edge green technologies will also be introduced at 360 State Street, Becker says. For instance, water submeters, if they do not detect water usage in an apartment in a 24 hour period, will set back the thermostat in that apartment. An on-site 400-kilowatt fuel cell will provide clean, renewable power.

Other green features include: a half-acre, irrigated green roof; bike storage; recovery of waste heat; high-efficiency lighting and occupancy sensors; elevators that recapture their own energy; low-flow water fixtures; low-VOC paint; carpet made from recycled fibers; high-performance insulated windows; and a recycling room on each floor.

Transit-oriented development should be welcomed with open arms in Connecticut, Becker says. “The state is losing residents, because there is so much congestion on the roads,” he says.

Tenants will begin occupying apartments in August.