New York Governor Kathy Hochul has just announced the addition of six new strategic partners to the $50 million Empire Building Challenge in aims of enhancing the state’s stock of energy-efficient buildings.

The newly-added partners will be tasked with developing "highly repeatable" solutions to reducing carbon emissions in the heating and hot water systems of roughly 5.6 million square feet of high-rise buildings statewide that are included in the Challenge.

Brookfield Properties and Tishman Speyer lead the groups included in the program’s expansion, which now covers some 125 million square feet of commercial and multifamily properties and over 1,500 units of housing. The new interests selected by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) include:

• Amalgamated Housing Corporation, who will team with EN-POWER GROUP and Egg Geo on Tower I & Tower II, 3965 - 3975 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx.
• Boston Properties, who pairs with Jaros, Baum, & Bolles Consulting Engineers, LLP, and Norges Bank Investment Management to enhance the 45-year-old 601 Lexington Ave (aka Citigroup Center).
• Brookfield Properties with Cosentini Associates, who will assist on 660 5th Avenue, which was purchased in 2018 for $1.3 billion. 
• Equity Residential with Goldman Copeland Consulting Engineers, Jones Lang LaSalle, and RUHL on 180 Montague in Brooklyn and 777 Sixth Avenue in Manhattan (both multifamily residential buildings).
• LeFrak Organization, who will work with Steven Winter Associates, Inc. and Ryan Soames Engineering on 59-17 Junction Boulevard in Queens. 
• Tishman Speyer, who is joined by Jaros, Baum & Bolles Consulting Engineers, LLP, Brightcore, and Watt Time for 520 Madison Avenue.