Battery Park City Sustainability Plan
BJH worked in partnership with Buro Happold Engineering to develop the Battery Park Sustainability Plan, for the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA). The goal of BPCA’s sustainability plan created a pathway to achieve carbon neutrality and other progressive sustainability targets over the next decade. BJH conducted a case study analysis of tenant incentives and regulatory frameworks in incentivizing green building retrofits. BJH then advised BPCA on the critical path issues relating to the adoption of green leases between commercial building owners and tenants. Further, BJH assisted with the Sustainability Implementation Plan that outlined the policies, programs, partnerships, tools, and funding mechanisms to assist in transforming the Sustainability Plan into a reality. To support the Implementation Plan, BJH performed a lease analysis of BPCA properties and identified opportunities to incorporate enhanced sustainability retrofits. BJH recommended three scenarios: 1) an incentive plan which would withhold excess revenue for use in a retrofit program as part of operating expenses; 2) a regulatory ground lease compliance mechanism that would enforce retrofits and have the tenants bear the cost; and 3) a hybrid model incentivizing tenants depending on whether green guidelines were met through building retrofits.
