Community District
Find the planning projects in your community district.
Manhattan CD11 Projects
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Manhattan Community District 11
55 E. 115th Street
New York, NY 10029
Phone: 212.831.8929
Fax: 212.369.3571
Email: info@cb11m.org
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Property Shark-125th Street Study Map
2006 City Roundtable - Harlem in Our Eyes (PDF)
Frederick Douglass Boulevard Rezoning Proposal
Great Streets - American Planning Association
The Indypendent's Timeline of Redevelopment of 125th Street
Municipal Arts Society of NY comments on Draft Scope for EIS
125th Street Corridor
The Department of City Planning has initiated a rezoning of 125th Street in Harlem. The River-to-River study was designed to "generate a development framework for the entire 125th Street corridor between the Harlem and Hudson Rivers. The street, also known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, boasts a unique character and many distinct assets upon which to build. It offers a multitude of cultural, religious and institutional resources, and is well-served by public transportation." (From DCP's web page) DCP's stated intention is to encourage development of the corridor that respects the character and scale of existing buildings. Central to this goal is the creation of new zones that encourage mixed-use development, which will allow for residential, commercial, and cultural uses.
DCP completed the DEIS on the rezoning in September 2007 and certified the proposal as complete on October 1, 2007. The plan was approved by the City Council on April 30, 2008 by a vote of 47-2. Before the plan was considered by the City Council, it first appeared before Manhattan Community Boards 9, 10, and 11, as well as before the Manhattan Borough President, Scott Stringer. While Community Boards 9 and 11 approved the plan, provided certain modifications were made, Board 10 unanimously disapproved the plan and urged changes to the proposal. Borough President Scott Stringer also disapproved the plan and has sought changes to the proposal. The modifications sought by the Community Boards and Borough President generally centered around creating more affordable housing, providing assistance to local business owners that may feel pressure from larger national chains, and modifying the zoning requirements to help preserve the current culture of the neighborhood.
Supporters of the plan, including the DCP Chair Amanda Burden, believe that the rezoning will promote a more mixed-use community that still protects the neighborhood’s unique character. Opponents of the plan, however, believe that if the plan is approved as it is, it will push many residents out of the area and force the closure of many locally-owned businesses. Especially prominent in the opposition to the rezoning plan is a group called Voices of the Everyday People (VOTE People). Among other tactics, the group is promoting a petition among neighborhood residents urging the City Council to disapprove the rezoning. If the petition is signed by 20% of area residents, the City Council would have to approve the rezoning by a supermajority.
The rezoning proposal comes at a time when many projects are already underway in the area. Construction has already started on the new Harlem piers on the Hudson River between St. Clair Place and 135th Street. The old piers, located at the western end of 125th Street, were demolished fifty years ago, but the new $18.7 million piers will be completed by 2007. One of the two piers will be used for boating, while the other will be reserved for recreation.
Harlem Park is another project that is being considered. The 380-foot tall, mixed-use tower at 125th and Park Avenue is supposed to be the tallest structure in the area and connect East and West Harlem. With room for a Marriott Courtyard Hotel, office, retail and residential space, the project was supposed to break ground in early 2005 but is currently held up due to legal issues concerning the developer.
Finally, the rezoning of Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) is also part of this project affecting a 44-block area of south-central Harlem. The city has approved the upzoning of this corridor to introduce stores, restaurants, theaters and other amenities to the neighborhood.
Recent headlines
East 125th Street Rezoning Moves Forward
August 27, 2008
Crain's New York Business
MLB Move to Harlem In Jeopardy
August 22, 2008
New York Times
CPC Set to Vote on East 125th Street Rezoning
August 22, 2008
Crain's New York Business
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2nd Avenue Subway
Plans for a subway line along Second Avenue date back to 1929. In fact, a plan developed in the 1960s resulted in the construction of several tunnel segments before work was suspended due to the city's financial crisis. In 1995, MTA began the Manhattan East Side Alternatives (MESA) Study. The project's goal was to recommend a course of action to reduce overcrowding and delays on the Lexington Avenue line, and to improve transit accessibility for residents on the Far East Side of Manhattan.
On April 12, 2007, ground was broken on the new subway line's first phase, which will run down Second Avenue from 96th Street to 63rd Street. The plan for ultimate build out of the line calls for the subway to run north to 125th Street and south to Hanover Square in the Financial District. The first phase of construction is estimated to cost $3.8 billion while construction of the entire project is estimated to cost around $13 billion. The first phase of what is now also known as the “T” line is scheduled to be completed in 2013 but there is no timetable for the rest of the project.
In November 2005, New York State voters approved the Transportation Bond Act, which contained $450 million for the project. This is in addition to the $1.05 billion the State has committed to the project and the anticipated federal commitment of at least $1.3 billion.
There are several sources of concern about the project. Some local residents are concerned about the relocation of residents in 60 residential buildings along the planned route. Partnership for New York City, a group of business executives, has published a study that, while not opposing the new subway, found that other projects, including a $6 billion rail link from lower Manhattan to Kennedy Airport, or the $2.1 billion No. 7 subway extension, would bring greater economic development. In addition, questions remain regarding financing of much of the rest of the line after the first phase is complete with full build out estimated to cost another $10 billion.
Recent headlines
Environmental Review Will Delay Components of 2nd Ave Subway Construction
July 31, 2008
NY1
U.S. Senate Provides $250 Million for Second Avenue Subway
July 11, 2008
NY1
Major Projects on Hold As Cement Truck Drivers Strike
July 2, 2008
New York Times
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East River Plaza
With numerous major development projects in the works in East Harlem, community groups have mobilized effectively to fight what they see as out-of-character development.
One troubled project in the area is East River Plaza, a 475,000 square foot retail center to be built over the abandoned Washburn Wire factory. The project was approved by the City Council in 1999, but funding troubles kept the project grounded until interest was renewed when Forest City Ratner bought a stake in the project in 2004. The project was originally to cost $87 million, but has ballooned into a most recent estimate of at least $300 million. Retail chains Target and Home Depot would anchor the mall.
Recent headlines
Hopeful Economic Boost from Target in East River Plaza
July 3, 2008
New York Sun
Home Depot May Abandon Location in East River Plaza
March 28, 2008
Crain's New York Business
NYC Retail In The Age Of Chain Stores
October 14, 2006
Gotham Gazette
Museum for African Art
Homeless since its creation in 1984, the Museum for African Art will finally have a permanent home in a new $80 million building designed by Robert A. M. Stern, on Fifth Avenue between 109th and 110th Street. The structure will have 90,000 square feet, including 16,000 square feet of exhibition space and 115 luxury condominiums with views of adjacent Central Park. The condos are being built by a partnership between the museum and two developers, Brickman and Sidney Fetner Associates. In addition to arranging for the sale of the site to the museum the New York City Economic Development Corporation has pledged $12 million to the project. It will be first new construction of a museum on Museum Mile since the Guggenheim opened in 1959. While the museum doesn’t actually own any art, it promises it will pick some up before the opening of the $80 million structure in 2009.
Construction preparation has sparked a series of protests over the loss of a community garden on the site. Opponents of the plan argue that the city has essentially given away one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in New York City to the developers for building luxury condominiums outside of the competitive bidding process and without proper community, environmental or legal oversight. They argue that the project is "deceptively described" as a Museum of African Art because the museum has no collections and will house a few small rooms for lectures. Protesters have promised to file an injunction to stop construction.
Recent headlines
Governor Proposes $12M State Funding for Museum of African Art
September 24, 2007
Crain's New York Business
Museum Finds Home; Community Loses Garden
April 10, 2007
City Limits Weekly
Community Gardeners Fight Museum
April 4, 2007
AM New York
Randalls Island Water Park and Playing Fields
A proposed 26-acre family-themed water park with 80 foot water slides is expected to begin construction in spring 2007 on a piece of Randalls Island parkland at the juncture of the East and Harlem Rivers, under the vast Triborough Bridge. It took seven years for the city to finalize the specifics on the water park. The plan was first proposed in 1999 by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani as a 12-acre facility. Seven years later, under the Bloomberg administration, the proposed park has more than doubled in size and is fast approaching the construction phase.
Some are concerned by the continuous commercialization of the area and the increasing size of the proposed park. Local residents also fear that the high price of admission will exclude a large percentage of the area’s low income residents. The city believes the proposed water park will be a great attraction and addition to the city with the Department of Parks and Recreation projecting that the proposed water park would attract 1.3 million annual visitors. The city's Franchise and Concession Review Committee approved the 35-year lease with Aquatic Development in April 2006.
Recent headlines
Opponents of City’s Pay to Play Scheme for Randalls Island Back in Court
April 11, 2008
Metro New York
Construction Continues at Randalls Island Despite Court Ruling
February 13, 2008
Metro New York
Judge Rules Against City’s Plan for Playing Fields on Randalls Island
February 1, 2008
New York Times
Uptown New York (East Harlem)
The city is modifying a real estate proposal in East Harlem, a few months after community opposition killed a $1 billion deal to redevelop six acres between 125th and 127th Streets and Third and Second Avenues with 2 million square feet of development and four apartment towers. Complaints from the local community about the size and makeup of the proposal scuttled the original project in May.
On October 23rd, 2006, the city's Economic Development Corporation reissued a request for proposals to buy and develop the site. The project is expected to include up to 300,000 square feet of national retail space, including 120,000 square feet of specialty retail, restaurants, cinemas, and nightclubs, 50,000 feet of local retail and at least 12,500 feet of open space. The proposal further calls for about 300,000 square feet of media space and up to 30,000 square feet of space for not-for-profit performing, visual, and media arts. There is also potential for a hotel. In addition, a percentage of the retail space would be reserved for local businesses, there would be space reserved for local non-profit and cultural organizations, and the local community will also have a say in selecting the developer.
While the supporters of the new project praise the city’s dedication to including the community in the process, critics deride the Bloomberg administration's preference for large development projects and its lack of regard for "community-based development." Critics also remain skeptical of the enlargement of the MTA bus parking operations controversial in a neighborhood with the highest nation-wide rate of childhood asthma.
Recent headlines
NYC Economic Development Corporation Issues RFP for Development of Six - Acre Site in East Harlem
October 24, 2006
New York Sun