Tuesday, November 30, 2021

NYC Climate Change Hub Planned For Historic Governors Island Schoolhouse




A historic Schoolhouse on Governors Island could soon become a linchpin of the City’s effort to combat Climate Change.

Buttermilk Labs, a Partnership of multiple Real Estate and Consulting Companies, will take over Building 301 on the Island and use the 23,000-square-foot Building as a Research and Training Facility focused on Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change, the Trust for Governors Island announced on Monday.

The $15.4 Million project is the result of an RFP Process that sought a Developer to Ground lease, Redevelop, and use the Building as a Hub for Climate Change Solutions.

Buttermilk Labs is set to sign a 55-year Ground Lease for Building 301, which originally served as a School for Children of the U.S. Army and Coast Guard Personnel who were stationed on Governors Island. The Partnership is led by the Real Estate firm North River Company; other Members include: Developer BJH Advisors; Climate Consulting firms Barretto Bay Strategies and Greenwood Strategies.

“This project will support New York City’s leadership in climate policy and green jobs while restoring one of Governors Island’s most treasured historic structures,” Trust for Governors Island CEO Clare Newman said.

Greenwood and Barretto Bay will Anchor the Project with Venture space, to Support and Mentor Startup firms focused on: Researching Renewable Energy, Transitioning to a Low-Carbon Economy, and Engineering for Climate Change.

It will include 10,000 square feet of Office Space overall, along with Laboratory Space, and 2,000 square feet of Event Space.

Companies that have already expressed interest in using the Building include: the Waterfront Alliance; Rebuild by Design; and Duro UAS, which makes Autonomous Systems to collect Data Underwater.

The Project will also host workforce and training programs focused on creating a pipeline for people in underserved communities to get climate jobs. Work on the development should be finished in early 2024 and should create more than 150 jobs.

The project is receiving $4 million in Funding from New York City, and $2.5 million in Funding from Empire State Development.

Restoring Historic Buildings, is an important part of North River Company’s History, notably when Firm Founder Coleman Burke, purchased the famed Terminal Stores Warehouse in Chelsea, with a Group of Investors for $12 million in 1983, and Renovated the Building, according to the Wall Street Journal and North River Company President Christopher Flagg.










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