Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg last week joined The Fortune Society, Jonathan Rose Companies, and federal, state and local officials in celebrating the opening of the society's "Castle Gardens," a mixed-use affordable, supportive and green apartment complex in West Harlem.

Located at 625 West 140th Street , the new 110,000 square-foot building will provide 114 apartments for homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals and low income families from the local community. The Fortune Society is one of the most respected and effective alternative to incarceration and reentry agencies in the country.

Castle Gardens was developed under Mayor Bloomberg's New Housing Marketplace Plan (NHMP) to finance the creation and preservation of 165,000 affordable homes by 2014. Under the NHMP, launched by the Bloomberg Administration in 2003, New York City has already invested more than $4.5 billion and HDC has issued more than $5 billion in bonds to finance more than 108,000 homes on the way to the Plan's target of 165,000 units.

Through supportive housing initiatives such as New York/New York III and High Needs 2, the City has financed nearly 3,100 units of supportive housing since 2005. Overall, the Plan has financed 2,442 affordable units in Community District 9 where Castle Gardens is located.

In addition to providing 114 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, Castle Gardens also offers a computer lab, Wi-Fi, library, community room, landscaped roof terraces and play area and a 25,000 square foot Service Center that will provide all residents with counseling services, case management, financial planning and other essential life skill development courses.

Local community groups are also welcomed to use the common spaces for meeting and events.

The Fortune Society created Castle Gardens with the goal of providing a living environment that promotes safe and sober socialization for its clients who strive to successfully reintegrate into society and for hard working families with limited income.

By providing supportive and affordable housing and essential services at the same site, Castle Gardens creates long-term housing solutions for people with histories of homelessness and incarceration, and their families. Monthly rents range from a low of $624 for a studio up to a high of $1127 for a three-bedroom apartment. Eligibility for the low-income residents is 60 percent (or less) of the area median income of the local neighborhood.

Fifty apartments will be occupied by Fortune clients, while the balance will be set aside for local families.

"If you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere, but sometimes you need a second chance to get your priorities back on track,"said Mayor Bloomberg. "The City of New York is proud to partner with the Fortune Society and Jonathan Rose Companies to help create this wonderful affordable development to provide people who have had difficult pasts with the tools and opportunity to build bright, productive futures."

As co-developer, Jonathan Rose Companies managed the construction of the project. Castle Gardens is a LEED certified, environmentally-friendly building that includes an energy-efficient green design leading to significant health benefits and cost savings. The building features an extensive green rooftop garden and rain harvesting system which will allow residents to take advantage of views of the Hudson River. The building also includes aluminum solar shades blocking the intense summer sun and keeping apartments cool, green paints, sealants and cabinetry that are free of toxic ingredients, a high-efficiency boiler and energy efficient appliances and lighting.

Capital One Bank committed to invest $38 million in specialized financing toward this development.

The Castle Garden Complex is adjacent to the Fortune Academy - also known as "The Castle." Fortune acquired the property - the former St. Walburga's Academy, a long abandoned building overlooking the Hudson River - in 1998.