From Fish to Chick: The former Max Fish bar space on Ludlow St. is now Sweet Chick, a comfort-food place. John Seymour, above right, Sweet Chick’s owner, posed for a photo with Ricky Powell, a.k.a. the “Original NYC Street Photographer.” Powell, a Greenwich Village native, rose to fame with the Beastie Boys.
They’re GELL’in! The GELL Project at P.S. 41, which is now home to New York City’s largest green roof on a public school, won an EBie award on June 9 at the Urban Green Council’s Third Annual Award Ceremony. Known as The Greenwich Village School, P.S. 41, on W. 11th St. at Sixth Ave, was honored at the rockin’ ceremony, which took place at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square. A juried competition that celebrates innovators behind significant improvements to building efficiency, the EBie Awards recognize finalists from all over the country. Among this year’s winners — and the only one from New York — the Green Roof Environmental Literacy Laboratory (GELL) Project was founded in 2006 by Vicki Sando, the environmental science program developer at P.S. 41. “It was a huge honor,” she told The Villager. “It was really humbling to win a national award.” Sando also described how special it was for P.S. 41, as a public school, to be honored with industry leaders in the building community. When the project was started six and a half years ago, there were a lot of issues, Sando recalled. Millions of dollars went into the green roof, and the effort was a result of the hard work of an entire team that included school Principal Kelly Shannon and officials from the city’s Department of Education and the School Construction Authority. As the green roof idea’s founder, Sando served as project leader and accepted the award on behalf of the entire team. “Everybody was part of the process,” she said. The Urban Green Council presented the EBie Awards in an Oscar-style award ceremony. The EBies (short for “Existing Buildings”) recognize improved environmental performance in existing buildings, and put a spotlight on the leaders who have found solutions for improved efficiency. P.S. 41’s green roof won in the Verdant Brainiac: Green Renovation Innovation category. “It was a very lively ceremony,” said Sando, who referred to the “good energy and great group of people.” She added that she has a lot of respect for the Urban Green Council, which made “every nominee present feel special.” After launching the city’s largest green roof on a public school, P.S. 41 has reportedly inspired more than 20 other schools to begin building their own rooftop learning labs and incorporating green roofs into their science programs. In addition to improvements in education, the 15,000-square-foot modular tray system dramatically increased the building’s energy efficiency. The roof also provides several ecological services, such as absorbing stormwater and providing habitats for urban wildlife. Several schools have toured the green roof, and are now eager to start similar projects, Sando noted, adding she hopes the project can continue to set a good example for others around the city.
Healthplex E.D. tour: This summer, on the ground floor of the former St. Vincent’s Hospital O’Toole Building, North Shore/LIJ Health System will debut the first phase of its Lenox Hill HealthPlex facility — a 24/7 freestanding emergency department. Over the next year, other elements of the medical center (on the upper floors) will begin providing health and wellness services. In anticipation of the E.D. becoming operational, the public is invited to attend an open house, during which they can ask staff questions about services, and learn about current and future plans for the HealthPlex. The open house will be on Sat., June 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (tours last about 30 minutes), at the Lenox Hill HealthPlex, at 30 Seventh Ave., between W. 12th and 13th Sts. To attend, RSVP by e-mail to wkawadler@nshs.edu or just stop by. For more info on the facility, visit lenoxhillhealthplex.org .
