Contractor chosen for last two Battery Park City sites.

The Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority Board of Directors today designated Milstein Properties as the developer to build two "green," residential towers on its last remaining residential site.

The towers, to be located on North End Avenue between Warren and Murray Streets, will have 421 apartments and a state-of-the-art 50,000 s/ f community center at its base. The community center extends through both towers, and is connected underground.

"These buildings will truly be a marvel of architectural vision and sustainable development," said James Gill, chairman of the Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority. "This project, which achieves a gold LEED standard, is one of the last steps we will take towards achieving our goal of 4.5 million square feet of sustainable development in Battery Park City, making us the largest 'green' neighborhood in the world. The development of these sites will include a 50,000-plus s/f community center located across the base of both buildings--providing great opportunity for the community at large to experience the positive aspects of green design. I look forward to working with Milstein Properties--one of the early developers in Battery Park City--to complete our last residential sites."

The project's community center will be located directly in front of Battery Park City's sustainable ballfields, and will include a swimming pool, gym, class and dance rooms, a kitchen and auditorium.

"After the Lefrak Family built Phase One (Gateway Plaza) we were pleased to lead the way in Phase 2 with our four Liberty Buildings, beginning with Liberty House (1984), more than 1400 apartments built, in the hope that the Battery Park City community would develop into one of New York's most desired addresses. Now that the dream has become a reality, we are particularly pleased to have been selected by the Authority to finish the residential development of Battery Park City with these 2 capstone Buildings" said Howard P. Milstein, the Managing Partner of Milstein Properties. "We are indebted to Paul Milstein's vision and tenacity that began this relationship more than 20 years ago and my father, brother and I look forward to greeting the residents of these buildings when they open in 2008."

"With this latest sustainable project, Battery Park City believes its continues to make a very real impact on the future of development in this nation and across the world," said Jim Cavanaugh, president and CEO of the Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority.

The towers, which are a combined 557,577 s/f of residential space, are 100% condominium with the average size of each apartment pegged at 1,142 s/f. The Site 23 tower will be 230 feet high, and Site 24, 320 feet high. There will also be below ground parking available upon its completion.

Construction on the towers is slated to begin in the spring of 2007, with its completion tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2008. The opening for the community center is targeted for the spring of 2009.

The Battery Park City Authority is a public benefit corporation created by the New York State Legislature in 1968 to develop a 92-acre site at the southwestern tip of Lower Manhattan. Battery Park City is home to The Winter Garden in the World Financial Center, The Ritz Carlton Hotel and Towers, Embassy Suites Hotel, Museum of Jewish Heritage, Skyscraper Museum, The New York City Police Memorial, Regal Cinemas and the Irish Hunger Memorial.