ATCN Wins EPA Award

The Silver Gardens Apartments building was developed by Romero-Rose (an affiliate of Jonathan Rose Companies) with the goal of providing a model of green, mixed income, affordable housing to revitalize downtown Albuquerque. The challenge was to serve the widest tenant income mix possible, from market rate to low-income and formerly homeless tenants. The outcome was a LEED Platinum certified project now fully operational and 100% leased, providing on-site social support services. Calthorpe Associates designed the Albuquerque Transportation Center Neighborhood (ATCN), setting the context and designing the contextual urban form for the Silver Gardens Apartments building. Part of the criteria for the 2011 EPA Award for Smart Growth, which the building received, was for its location in a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood. The project is located on a reclaimed brownfield, where a former bus depot and repair shop once stood along a main commercial street in central Albuquerque. Within walking and biking distance are nearby restaurants, shops, museums, theaters, schools, and other amenities. Across the street from this transit-oriented development is a hub for city and regional buses, regional light rail, and train service.