It's been four long years since
Postgreen Homes, the sustainable development company, made public its intention to construct a contemporary 14-unit Fishtown project with the unlikely moniker of "
Awesometown."
In late March, during a public launch party at
Lloyd Whiskey Bar, Postgreen announced that the ultra energy-efficient project is finally going to happen.
ISA is the architectural firm responsible for the design.
According to Postgreen's Chad Ludeman, the process of financing Awesometown has been a bit of a departure for the company. As the result of a partnership with the
New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC), Postgreen is pricing four of the 14 customizable townhomes at a discounted rate, making them affordable for moderate-income families.
Unlike with most collaborations between for-profit and nonprofit developers, the funds for Awesometown -- which will sit between Thompson and Moyer Streets -- are coming entirely from private sources.
"We're just treating this like a normal project," says Ludeman, "and using the proceeds from the sales of the market-rate units to subsidize the moderate-income units." (Moderate-income residents of Awesometown will be required to have incomes below 100 percent of the city's median income rate.)
Awesometown's market-rate townhomes are selling for $399,000. The company hopes to acheive LEED platinum status for the project -- each of the units will come stocked with eco-friendly appliances, an Energy Star HVAC system and triple pane windows.
Postgreen also worked with the
Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) to develop a stormwater management plan for the site, 95 percent of which will be permeable, thanks to eco-friendly paving and green roof decks constructed atop each home.
Visit the Postgreen Homes
blog for more details on the project and to view an Awesometown
promo video.
Source: Chad Ludeman, Postgreen Homes
Writer: Dan Eldridge