125th Street Pathmark Site May Host Apartments, Not Offices: New Plans

HARLEM, NY — Instead of an office building, the developer Extell will construct a large apartment tower on the site of the former Pathmark supermarket on East 125th Street, according to newly filed documents — an apparent change from the company's former plans.

The full-block site between Third and Lexington avenues has sat empty for more than two years, even after Extell revealed plans in early 2020 to build a nine-story office building on the block's east side. Extell later said that it was seeking tenants for the new development, but no visible construction has begun.

Now, this week, Extell filed new plans with the city for a 15-story apartment building on the Third Avenue side of the block, containing about 543 apartments.

Notably, its ground floor would contain a 6,200-square-foot supermarket space set to be occupied by Brooklyn Fare: a self-described "gourmet grocery store" with four existing locations around the city.

The supermarket space, not included in the prior office plans, would likely be welcome news to Harlemites who have complained about a dearth of fresh-food options in the neighborhood since Pathmark closed in 2015 following the site's sale to Extell. (The recent opening of Food Bazaar across the street may have assuaged some concerns, however.)

Extell's new filing seeks to take advantage of the city's "FRESH" program, which gives developers zoning bonuses or tax breaks in exchange for putting supermarket space in new buildings.

It also asks for special approval from the City Planning Commission to build one story higher than the zoning-permitted 14 floors, and exceed the block's 145-foot building height cap by about 15 feet.

Since the 125th Street zoning district allows for both commercial and residential use, the new project would not require a rezoning, meaning it will not need to move through the city's monthslong review process.

The new building will cover more than 412,000 square feet, and up to 30 percent of the residential space would be affordable, according to Extell's plans, though details were not provided. Besides the supermarket, the ground floor will contain another 18,000 square feet of commercial space.

The Lexington Avenue side of the block is now being acquired by the MTA as part of the Second Avenue Subway's extension to 125th Street, and will host a "major subway terminal," according to planning documents.

Future developments on the block's west side would be handled in coordination with the MTA, Extell says.

The developer did not immediately respond to questions about why its plans for the 125th Street site had changed, and the documents do not specify when construction would begin.

Moe Issa, the founder of Brooklyn Fare, said in a letter included in the planning documents that he believes the new supermarket would succeed, given its location on the busy 125th Street corridor and proximity to the upcoming Second Avenue Subway.

"I am confident that [the supermarket] will be a great addition to the neighborhood," Issa said in the letter, dated Sept. 19.

Have a Harlem news tip? Contact reporter Nick Garber at nick.garber@patch.com.

Related coverage:

• East Harlem Office Tower On Pathmark Site Now Seeking Tenants
• Office Development To Replace Former East Harlem Pathmark
• Second Avenue Subway May Complicate E Harlem Developments: Report