Feb 23 2011
Del-Sano Contracting Corporation, a general contracting, design/build and construction management services firm, celebrated the groundbreaking of the HELP USA Genesis II Urban Renewal Project, also known as the Newark Clinton Avenue Homes, on Friday, February 18.
Once completed, the out of the ground building construction will pursue LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification and will provide affordable housing at the 634 Clinton Avenue, Newark, N.J. address. In the groundbreaking ceremony held at the site, numerous dignitaries, including Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, participated in the official commencement of the project.
"HELP USA is fulfilling a commitment to provide essential housing and living opportunities for low income and veteran families in the South Ward of Newark. Residents who qualify to live at the new complex will have a safe living environment that is energy efficient and a wholesome community within the neighborhood where they are most familiar," said Angelo Del Russo, CEO of Del-Sano. "We are extremely proud to be the general contractor for this project and to be a team member with HELP USA and Kramer Marks Architects in fulfilling a mission that will ensure quality housing and services to such a worthy inner city. This is a great opportunity for us all to positively enable local residents and provide the ability to remain independent as their lives evolve."
"Help USA is proud to be leading another private public partnership in Newark's South Ward," said Laurence Belinsky, president and CEO of HELP USA. "The project will not only be a LEED-Certified Gold or Platinum 'green building,' but will also include special units and support services for our nation's veterans who have fallen on hard times. We welcome aboard Del-Sano to our 25-year tradition of building better lives for homeless and impoverished Americans."
HELP USA, an organization providing housing and the supportive services for the homeless and people in need, created the Genesis model in 1992 in which it provides a permanent service-enriched housing model for formerly homeless, low income and special needs households.
The Genesis II Urban Renewal project will be a mid-rise, multi-family, four-story, 56-unit residential building. The residents will qualify as low income individuals and families as well as disabled veterans. The LEED guided design will be universal and include one, two and three bedroom rental units; a community room; offices; a lounge; an exercise room; a children's playroom; a computer room; and a laundry room for the residents. It also includes numerous high performance building and sustainable features, indoor air quality design, low emissions products and building materials, a vegetative green roof with a hardscaped terrace, and indoor parking garage.
The architect on the project is Kramer Marks Architects of Ambler, Pa. and the structural and site engineers are Betzwood Associates PC of Phoenixville, Pa. and Maser Consulting P.A. of Red Bank, N.J., respectively.
"HELP USA is a long-standing client of our firm and needed a contractor that had experience working in Newark, on affordable housing projects and with the New Jersey HFMA," explained George Marks, owner of Kramer Marks Architects. "Del-Sano met those criteria and was able to work with us under a tight timeframe. We look forward to working with Del-Sano and anticipate the same level of professionalism that Del-Sano provided during the job costing and budget phase to continue during the construction phase of the project."
Source: http://www.delsano.com/