Red Hook's Zero Energy Building Now Has Zero Energy

Did someone say Winter 2011 for the estimated completion date of shipping container-inspired RedHook Green? Er, about that. Turns out the building, which claimed to be New York's first "zero energy building"?getting all its energy from renewable sources?is now not happening at all. Blog A View from the Hook explains that the Department of Buildings has put a stop to the project due to a little zoning problem. The developer chose a block zoned for manufacturing and went ahead, on what he claims was a former building commissioner's advice, with plans to identify the building as commercial for zoning purposes, with the living spaces an "accessory" to the building's commercial function.
After a hearing last week, the DOB denied the application. Redhook Green's developer is weighing whether to turn the space into a green office building, apply for a zoning variance, or walk away. Meanwhile, A View from the Hook sees a bigger problem: that maybe Red Hook's industrial zoning is keeping the neighborhood from successful "residential regeneration."
· Red Hook's Archaic Zoning Regulations Kill Plans for City's First Zero Emissions Building [A View From the Hook]
· Buyer Beware [Redhook Green]
· Redhook Green coverage [Curbed]