Hudson Harbor, a new green residential
development in Tarrytown, is located along the Hudson River.
Hudson Harbor is a beautiful 24-acre development located right on the river, just north of the Tappan Zee Bridge. It’s being built with sustainable principles in mind, saving energy for the 238 homes (100 townhouses and 138 condominiums), most of which have waterfront views. The townhouses are being priced from $1.25 to $3.1 million, while the condominiums are going for $575,000 to $1.25 million. Also in the works are a 5-star restaurant, a bakery, a pool, a marina, and a spa, as well as other amenities that improve the surrounding community.
Distinctive architecture gives the development a classic neighborhood feel.
With guidance from townhouse expert Charles Lockwood, author of Bricks & Brownstones, the homes have been modeled after original New York townhouses. Unique façades separate each townhouse from the other; different stonework and windows make the homes appear to have been built at different times.
Hudson Harbor is just one of many projects in the works for National RE/sources, a real estate and investment firm based in Greenwich, CT, that was founded on sustainable principles more than 15 years ago. The company owns 1.5 miles of waterfront on the Hudson River and has projects planned for Sleepy Hollow, Yonkers, and Edgewater, NJ.
National RE/sources, which has owned this Hudson riverfront land for 12 years, had plans for this development that were limited by an old asphalt plant. Plans for more industrial occupants did not advance far along the application process, as many iterations of the proposal were suggested and given input by village officials, residents, and groups such as Scenic Hudson. The breakthrough for National RE/sources was the purchase of the plant and the land it was on. This allowed the developer to put in a proposal to the town that they were really excited about: Hudson Harbor.
Inside Hudson Harbor’s town homes and condominiums, every floor, wall, furnishing, and appliance is top-of-the-line. The bathrooms have beautiful Botticino marble floors and walls, a Kohler steeping tub, and a separate glass-wall shower. Kitchens in condos boast a KitchenAid stainless steel refrigerator and range. In townhomes, the Bilotta-designed kitchens include a Wolf dual-fuel, self-cleaning range, a Sub Zero refrigerator, a Bosch dishwasher, and a GE microwave oven. The big-name brands are just an example of the developer’s effort to build the homes with quality, and even a sense of grandeur.
What goes unnoticed to the eye, but perhaps is more striking to the buyer, are the green energy systems and materials. The premier example of sustainable technology at Hudson Harbor is the geothermal heating and cooling. A copper pipe goes down about 70 feet into the ground filled with a bio-degradable substance that is six times more effective in heat exchange than older models, says Joseph Cotter, founder and president of National RE/sources. These systems will last about 50 years longer than others, and will save homeowners nearly 50 to 60 percent off their energy bill, he says.
In addition, Hudson Harbor includes many sustainable materials: a majority of them have been recycled or purchased locally; the cellulose insulation is eight inches thick, will conserve energy, and is made from recycled paper, for instance. The proximity to the Tappan Zee Bridge and other forms of public mass transportation (it’s within walking distance to the Tarrytown train station) contribute to LEED points (Hudson Harbor is striving for gold certification) and its Energy Star rating.
Hudson Harbor is being built in multiple phases. Currently, phase one of the construction (56 units) is complete, with the first homeowners projected to move in this fall. About 15 units have already been sold, more than enough for the first phase to be deemed effective. Hudson Harbor hasn’t been heavily advertised, says Cotter: “Once people come down and see it, it speaks for itself.” Another thing helping sales is the wide range of target buyers the development is attracting. Cotter notes that some units are designed for people working in Manhattan, while others that feature private elevators would be alluring to empty-nesters looking to downsize and retire in comfort. Plus, there is the obvious attraction of the Hudson River.
Financing for the development has gone smoothly, thus far, Cotter says. “I’d be foolish to suggest that we weren’t concerned, given the current economic climate. And we have dealt with one of the biggest challenges; we have been able to find lenders to provide loans without any presale requirements,” Cotter says. Construction of the second phase—42 units, mostly condominiums—is set to begin in the spring. Cotter says that going into this next phase, there are at least three banks willing to finance the construction. All told, the completed Hudson Harbor development will cost around $300 million, according to Cotter.
The project needed the support of the village and Scenic Hudson to get the ball rolling. Avoiding an adversarial approach, Cotter went to Scenic Hudson and the Village of Tarrytown early in the process to work with them in the creation of the proposal.
Explains Cotter, “Instead of having an arm wrestle for a number of years, we asked Scenic Hudson what was a plan we could all sign on for, and then we all tried to accomplish that. It was a much more constructive process than in other communities.”
Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan credits Cotter as the prime component in the successful collaboration. “Joe Cotter was very open to input from both the public and the citizen advisory that was formed,” Sullivan says. “Scenic Hudson was very involved in all of those public processes, and providing our input every step of the way… I would give Joe Cotter and National RE/sources high marks for their collaborative spirit.”
Scenic Hudson is not necessarily pro-development, according to Sullivan; the group just works to shape the development as it occurs. In the case of Hudson Harbor, Scenic Hudson sought to allow public access to the waterfront, as well as maintain the view of the shoreline and give the sense of a public space. The plan for a $10 million river walk on the property was a major point that all three sides believed in and came together to complete.
The $10 million river walk will be financed by all three groups involved. Scenic Hudson is contributing $2 million to the plan, including $1 million pledged to be donated by Tarrytown resident Kathryn W. Davis, says Sullivan. According Village Administrator Michael Blau, the village is responsible for $5.5 million ($1.2 million after grants). The public park will provide the greater community with a mile of waterfront that had been privately owned for more than a century.
Blau believes that the river walk will be a great asset to the community: “It was one huge sea of asphalt… They’ve now cleaned out that site, and we’re getting beautiful housing on that site. We’re getting other amenities…that will serve that little community and the rest of Tarrytown.”
Sullivan agrees. “It’s a real story of an industrial site that has been reclaimed for multiple uses and having the public park, and public access instead of that asphalt plant—I think it’s really terrific.”
Again showing his collaborative mindset, Cotter said, “The communities coming together creating a $10 million public park… restoring the land, giving the public access to waterfront, and then creating a low-density green community…I think that’s more of the story.”
Resource List Developer National RE/sources Greenwich, CT (203) 661-0055; nationalresources.com Architects and Consultants Lessard Group (703) 760-9344; lessardgroup.com
Charles Lockwood (310) 455-3630; charleslockwood.com
Imbiano-Quigley Landscape Architects, P.C.(914) 666-6024; iqlandarch.com Broker The Marketing Directors, Inc. (914) 631-1198; hudsonharborny.com Kitchen Design Bilotta (914) 381-7734; bilotta.com Geothermal Heating/Cooling Advanced Geothermal Technology (610) 736-0570; advgeo.com Tankless Water Heater Noritz (866) 766-7489; noritz.com Insulation NuWool (800) 748-0128; nuwool.com Windows and Doors Marvin (888) 537-7828; marvin.com Air Conditioning Carrier (860) 674-3000; carrier.com Washer and Dryer Whirlpool whirlpool.com Dual-Fuel Range Wolf (800) 332-9513; wolfappliance.com Refrigerator SubZero (800) 222-7820; subzero.com Dishwasher Bosch (800) 944-2904; bosch.us Wine Cooler KitchenAid (888) 886-8318; kitchenaid.com Bathroom Fixtures Kohler (800) 456-4537; kohler.com
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