Designed by Gregory Merryweather, the Greenbelt condos, which broke ground back in January of 2006, are on track to become Brooklyn’s first LEED-certified mixed-use development. Developer Derek Denckla is rehabbing a former plumbing warehouse at 361 Manhattan Avenue in East Williamsburg into eight floor-through apartments across five additional floors and 9,600 total square feet. The $4 million project (which according to the New York Sun is behind schedule because of delays in sourcing 100% recycled-content gypsum wall board and steel I-beams) also includes a 4,000-square-foot ground floor dance center. Green features in each of the eight units at Greenbelt include bamboo flooring and kitchen cabinets, as well as Energy Star appliances, Richlite countertops made from recycled paper, and energy-efficient washers and dryers. The John Jasperse Company and Chez Bushwick (a dance center that provides low-cost rehearsal space) will purchase the dance center and create the non-profit Center for Performance Research at Greenbelt. The Center will accommodate an audience of up to 80 people; the companies should move into the space by next month.

John Jasperse himself will be a guest tomorrow evening, December 11, with Katherine Lanpher on WNYC 93.9 FM at 7PM (also live on the web here). Mr. Jasperse will participate in the station’s “Must Have Festival,” where he and other special guests this week will share their favorite music with listeners. The theme of the festival is “The Transformers,” profiling New York City artists and activists who are “significantly impacting New York’s physical, cultural and environmental landscape, inviting them to dig through their CD collections and plug in their iPods to share the music that has inspired them.” The intersection of sustainability with modern dance – and Mr. Jasperse’s taste in music – should make tomorrow evening a worthwhile time to check in with WNYC’s festival. We’ll also, of course, continue to follow Greenbelt as the condos open for a preview in January.

Brooklyn Green Development to House Dance Center (NY Sun)