449 Convent Avenue rendering. Image credit: LPC.
19th-century rowhouse that previously stood at site demolished by emergency declaration after owner failed to make repairs following fire. On July 24, 2018, Landmarks voted to approve the construction of a new building at 449 Convent Avenue in the Hamilton Height/Sugar Hill Historic District Extension. An 1897 Renaissance Revival rowhouse occupied the site until 2011, when it was demolished by the Department of Buildings under an emergency declaration. The demolition followed a severe fire, and the building was declared unsafe after the owner failed to make necessary repairs. (read more…)
Balton Commons. Image credit: CPC.
Multi-use building off 125th Street will add affordable housing, retail, and community space. On June 13, 2018, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on an application submitted by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development for the designation of property located at 263-267 West 126th Street in Harlem as an Urban Development Action Area. The development will build a seven-story building containing residential, community facility, and commercial space. The development, named Balton Commons, is led by the development team comprised of Harlem-based M/WBE affordable housing developers, Lemor Realty Corp. and Apex Building Company, Inc., and Silicon Harlem, a Harlem-based organization focused on technology and innovation leadership in education. (read more…)
Courtesy of Landmarks Preservation Commission
Proposed 164-property historic district constructed in late 19th century for upper-middle-class housing; served important role in Harlem and history. On December 12, 2017, Landmarks voted to add the Central Harlem West 130-132nd Street Historic District to its calendar for possible designation. The proposed district consists of the interiors of three blocks on 130th, 131st, and 132nd Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Lenox Avenue. Landmarks staff identified the potential historic district while surveying the area for historic resources related to the Civil Rights movements, and were struck by its architectural integrity and consistency. (read more…)
The City Planning Commission approved three new affordable housing projects; City Council schedules hearing. On February 1, 2017, the City Planning Commission adopted favorable reports for three Department of Housing Preservation and Development applications to dispose of city-owned properties in order to facilitate three new housing developments in Manhattan’s Harlem neighborhood. Each development will contain varying levels of affordability under HPD loan structures. The City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning has scheduled a public hearing on the Harlem developments for February 7, 2017. (read more…)
Historic Districts Council’s annual preservation conference celebrated City history, identified priorities, and looked forward to new battles and a new administration. The Historic Districts Council hosted its 19th Annual Preservation Conference over three days from March 1 to 3, 2013. The conference featured receptions, guest speakers, panel discussions, and walking tours. The American Institute of Architects also provided continuing education credits. New York Law School hosted the conference on Saturday, March 2nd. Participants from various fields spoke on panels regarding preservation campaigns in the public and private sector. Panelists presented individual talks on preservation issues and took questions from the audience and panel moderators. The event attracted people actively engaged in preservation advocacy and sought to strengthen connections between disparate groups pursuing a common cause. In her introduction, HDC President Francoise Bollack called the preservation of historic architecture “a collective endeavor.” Panelists and speakers repeatedly criticized the Bloomberg Administration and City Planning Commission Chair Amanda Burden for their perceived lack of consideration of preservation issues.
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Uptown retail center will have national retail chain, local vendors and restaurant. The Department of Citywide Administrative Services sought approval for the disposition of Mart 125, the one-and-a-half story, 12,210-square-foot building, located at 260 West 125th Street across from the Apollo Theater. Mart 125 was originally built in the early 1980’s as a market for local Harlem vendors and businesses. Occupancy declined over the years and the building began to deteriorate. It is currently vacant.
DCAS would transfer Mart 125 to the New York City Economic Development Corporation for sale or long-term lease to a selected developer. The existing mezzanine in the building would be replaced by two new, internal floors, providing 10,000 sq.ft. each, and subdivided into smaller retail spaces ranging from 500 to 1,500 sq.ft. The revitalized Mart 125 would provide a total of 34,400 sq.ft. of retail space with the ground floor reserved for a national or regional retail chain and the third floor for restaurant use. (read more…)
