Forest City Ratner Companies recently broke ground on Ridge Hill, an 81.4-acre mixed use project in Yonkers, New York.

Late in 2007, the company secured a $630 million loan to build “the new town square of Westchester County,” said Bruce Ratner, president and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies

Ridge Hill will be comprised of 1.3 million sq-ft of retail, restaurant, movie theater and entertainment space. Whole Foods Market, and retailers L.L. Bean, Banana Republic and New York & Company have recently signed on as tenants.

The facility will also feature 1,000 residential units, including 135 affordable units and 200 residences for people over 55 years of age. There will be 156,000 sq ft of office and research space as well as a hotel and conference center. The development will have a transportation network that serves all of its components and both covered and uncovered parking spaces will be constructed.

The consulting team for Ridge Hill includes Studio 5 Partnership, the working drawing architects, H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture, the design architects, Divney Tung Schwalbe, land planners and site engineers and Philip Habib & Associates, the traffic engineers.

Forest City anticipates the mixed use project to be economically efficient for the area.

Plans are also underway to make $35 million worth of traffic improvements to city roads for the facility, according to Forest City.

Ridge Hill is expected to open in 2009.

Construction continues on converting the Long Island City power house built in 1906 and responsible for generating electricity for the Long Island and Pennsylvania rail roads to The PowerHouse luxury condominiums.

Located one block from the waterfront, the 11-story, 240,000-sq-ft building will be the first phase of a two phase project. Included in the first phase is 177 residences in Building A, the existing power station, with a price tag of approximately $100 million. Phase two will include two additional structures, Buildings B and C, in which CGS Developers, developers of The PowerHouse, recently received approval to include 250 additional residences.

Cheskel Schwimmer, partner of CGS Developers, explained that there are no hazards in the adaptive reuse of the site but only challenges. “Taking out coal hoppers and slicing out the demising wall between the two buildings were some of our biggest challenges,” he said. The team also has to alternate between demolition and construction during the project. “It is a 100-yr-old building, with exterior walls about 85 ft high so it is fragile,” said Schwimmer. “We had to go back and forth so we wouldn’t leave the walls unsecured.”

The PowerHouse is being designed by Karl Fischer Architect. Lilker has been retained as the mechanical engineer and Wexler & Associates as the structural engineers. A construction company under the umbrella of CGS Developers has handled the construction since ground breaking in mid 2006.

“Even though we removed most of the coal containers and railway tracks, we adapted the planning to recreate the character,” explained Architect Karl Fischer. “Since we were working with an existing building and wanted to keep its uniqueness, we wanted to save the four chimneys, which have been rebuilt with metal and glass and are in some of the living and bedrooms.”

Featuring interiors designed by Andres Escobar & Associates, the studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units are loft-inspired and will include high ceilings, oversized windows, American walnut hardwood floors and solid core doors.

When completed in July 2008, amenities will feature concierge service, a landscaped roof deck with private cabanas, a children’s play area as well as a residents lounge with billiards, large plasma-screen television and wet bar. The PowerHouse will also include a fitness center, spa and Aqua Grotto a water-oriented social space.

“The PowerHouse will be the marquee luxury residential building in Long Island City,” said Sar Inbar of CGS Developers, the developer of The PowerHouse. “It incorporates the history of the structure with the future of the area to create a kind of residential condominium that has never before been seen in New York City.” 

“Hunters Point is a great area,” said Schwimmer. “People undervalue the site and Long Island City is truly one of the best access locations to the city.”

A vacant Columbia Records building in the East End neighborhood of Bridgeport, Connecticut is being rehabilitated into loft-style condominiums as the construction team recently broke ground on the project.

Columbia Towers on Ridgefield Avenue will retain the four stories of the original Columbia Records building and include 65 market rate and affordable priced one- and two-bedroom condominiums. The units, designed and constructed by architectural and general contracting firm Primrose Companies, will feature 11-ft ceilings, central air conditioning, solid wood cabinets and ceramic tile floors in the baths. Columbia Towers will be handicap accessible and provide gated on-site parking with 134 spaces.

“Today, we are taking a parcel of property that has been vacant for several years and turning it into a new $12 million condominium complex that will provide much-needed housing here in the city, while bringing in tax revenue,” said Bridgeport Mayor John Fabrizi at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The 80,000-sq-ft towers will be a collaborative effort between the Community Preservation Corporation and the City of Bridgeport. CPC will provide $8.65 million in financing for the $12 million project. The City of Bridgeport will also commit $350,000 in HOME funds money allocated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for affordable housing for seven affordable units included in Columbia Towers. Residents must earn 60% of the area median income to qualify for application.

Construction began in August 2007 and is slated for completion in February 2009.