NYC real estate in brief

Park construction approved after 36 years
The Roosevelt Island
Operating Corp. granted approval for the first phase of construction of
the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park. The park is being
designed by Louis Kahn for the south point of the island. Construction
is expected to begin in the summer. The design of the park was
commissioned by New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1973. Two years
ago, the city and state recommitted to build the park.

Atelier’s final sponsor unit sells
The last sponsor unit at the
Moinian Group’s Atelier has sold, according to exclusive sales and
marketing agent the Marketing Directors. The Marketing Directors sold
12 units in the past month. The 46-story building, at 627 West 42nd
Street, was designed by Costas Kondylis Architects and has 478 units.
According to Streeteasy.com, there are 62 units in the building for
resale, and 48 up for rent.

First phase of Bronx community center opens
The first phase of
the Mount Hope Community Center in the Bronx opened this week. The $16
million community center, at 55 Townsend Avenue in Mount Hope, provides youth and
employment services, as well as community programs and vocational
training. The four-story building was designed by Croxton Collaborative
Architects, and includes six classrooms, two computer labs, two green
roofs and outdoor space. The second phase of the project will be construction of a
gymnasium. The project was funded in part by the Bronx Initiative for
Energy and Environment and the Bronx Borough President. The project
incorporates green building design.

Construction survey says joint ventures becoming popular
According
to a recent construction survey, the construction industry in the
private sector has been hit hard by the recession. The report said that
30 percent of the respondents are participating in joint ventures,
which is becoming a trend to survive the downturn. One area where
construction firms need work is in establishing training programs.
According to the report, 57 percent of respondents do not have in-house
training programs, which are becoming more important for increased
training in safety standards and new technology. TRD