Workers work on the second floor walkway from the parking garage at the new Millennium Waterway Ave. luxury apartments, located between Woodlands Parkway and Timberloch Drive on Waterway Ave. The property uses solar power, and some recycled material in the common areas. Photo by David HopperThe Woodlands hopes to debut one of the few 'green' apartment complexes in Texas in June.

Not only is Millennium Waterway Ave. pursuing the silver seal from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, it also offers its residents a host of luxury features, including a clubhouse with a demonstration kitchen; a two-story, state-of-the-art fitness center; meeting rooms, a computer lab, an internet café with coffee bar, a resort style pool with an adjacent aqua lounge and its own dog park.

“The Millennium Waterway Ave. offers sophisticated, upscale urban design, green features and amenities as well as close proximity to shopping, dining and entertainment along The Waterway,” said Dan Leverett, vice president for commercial at The Woodlands Development Co. “Its centralized location in Town Center provides access to trolleys and water taxis as alternate modes of transportation within a very walkable environment. The scope of the project and its community amenities and planned events also encourage social interaction among friends and neighbors.”

Rents will range from $1,145 to $2,400 for units offering one to three bedrooms, from 621 to 1,475 square feet. The 393-unit complex is located on Waterway Avenue at Timberloch Drive in The Woodlands downtown district.

“It really gives everyone the opportunity o enjoy a better quality of life," said John Caltagirone, a principal in Dinerstein Companies, which developed the project. “It is cleaner and healthier. It’s more affordable and economical. You can have lower utility bills, feel better and have a better quality of life.”

There are seven certified LEED multi-family projects in Texas, but the Millennium project has not yet been certified, said Lora-Marie Bernard, executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Texas Gulf Coast chapter. The certification is an industry benchmark based on a third party measure that the building meets environmental stewardship standards and energy efficiency.

Caltagirone said the building has applied for the certification, and he expects it will be awarded once the project is complete.

The project includes many green features, including solar panels, recycled materials, energy efficiency, water use reduction, lower light emissions, air quality controls, preferred parking for alternative vehicles and pedestrian-friendly access.

“Residents will be able to save from 15 to 35 percent on their energy bills, depending on their use,” Caltagirone said.

The complex, which includes two buildings, will power the clubhouse and common areas with 32 solar panels on the roof.

“It is generated on site and goes directly to power the electric meters,” said Caltagirone.

The buildings themselves are made with 10 percent recycled materials, including fly ash on the exterior of the building, corkboard on the walls and ceilings, and 90 percent recycled wood in the demonstration kitchen.

The complex also improved its air quality by using special filtration systems and by using paints, flooring, glues and adhesives with low volatile organic compounds.

The building also reduces water use through low-flow features on showerheads, faucets and toilets. The landscaping has been designed with native plants to minimize the need for irrigation.

The complex also has been equipped with compact fluorescent lights bulbs. The exterior lighting design also minimizes light pollution, Caltagirone said.

The complex is connected to The Woodlands Town Center and The Woodlands Waterway through mews, which are landscaped pathways. Caltagirone said for a resident who works in Town Center, they may not even need to own a car. But for those who do, parking preference will be given to electric or hybrid vehicles.

But while the complex may reduce its carbon footprint, it doesn’t skimp on luxury.

The complex boasts ground floor lofts and top level penthouse apartments, with up to 11 foot ceiling and stained concrete floors. In all units, the kitchen have stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and a washer and dryer; each room features a ceiling fan; and each apartment has a patio or balcony.

The apartments wrap around a parking garage, which has 613 spaces, with an addition 21 space surface lot.

Millennium The Woodlands is currently pre-leasing and has an office on site.

Dinerstein Companies recently opened its first Texas Millennium project in Greenway Plaza in Houston, and has similar offerings in Los Angles, Tampa and Charlotte.

Millennium Waterway Avenue

Dinerstein Companies will open a green apartment complex in June that is pursuing a certified silver designation from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a national group that recognizes green building elements. Following are the features of Millennium Waterway Avenue:

• 393 units, which wrap around a parking garage

• Clubhouse featuring demonstration kitchen, two story fitness center, meeting rooms, computer lab, Internet café, resort style pool and aqua lounge

• Solar panels power clubhouse and common space

• Built with 10 percent recycled material

• Low flow water features and minimal irrigation landscaping

• Energy efficient lighting

• Air quality controls

• Preferrred parking for alternative vehicles.

Source: Dinerstein Companies.