Sendero Verde

Jonathan Rose Companies, L+M Development Partners and Acacia Network have joined forces with the City of New York to transform a full city block in East Harlem into a vibrant, green mix of affordable housing, community services, a publicly accessible courtyard and community gardens. The project serves 700+ families with incomes ranging from formerly homeless to 110% of the area median.

Sendero Verde’s rich mix of social, health and educational programs are designed to increase its residents’ and neighbors’ health and wellbeing and provide over 85,000 GSF of community facility space to the neighborhood. In addition to a wide variety of community facility users, each residential building has a full suite of amenities including a fitness center, computer and study lounge, community room, outdoor terraces, and access to on-site social services. 

The heart of the project is the publicly accessible courtyard, sheltered between the three buildings and raised one level above the street. The courtyard was designed as a series of pods that include intimate spaces for conversation and reflection, active spaces for exercise and play, and a large open space for community social events. The courtyard is further activated by the development’s community facility users, who all have direct access to the space and include Union Settlement, Harlem Children Zone’s Promise Academy II, and a community Art Space operated by Acacia Network. 

As one of the largest Passive House structures in the world, Sendero Verde demonstrates how to successfully maximize energy efficiency for multifamily buildings, reduce greenhouse gases and create a rich urban community that offers amenities and services to both residents and the neighborhood at large.