A Golden Shade Of Green

"Rising from the streets of Lower Manhattan is the Solaire, a pioneering green apartment tower that has lurched to the edge of calamity and back. Located a few blocks from the site of the World Trade Center, only the first story had been built on Sept. 11, 2001 when terror attacks struck. Not long afterwards, development financing fell apart as lenders lost confidence in the viability of the residential market in the shaken neighborhood. Finally, financing in the form of Liberty Bonds--public guarantees for housing and commercial projects in Lower Manhattan--brought the Solaire back to life. And just as its doors opened in 2004, the Manhattan rental market took off to reach new heights, making the residential building a lovely blend of green and gold."