Affordable Housing, Tech Incubator To Be Built On City-Owned Land in Harlem

HARLEM, NY — A city-owned lot in Central Harlem has been selected for a development project that includes restaurant space, affordable housing units and space for a tech incubator. The new development at 263-267 W. 126th St, between Frederick Douglas and Adam Clayton Powell Jr boulevards, was one of six announced by the city Friday.

All six of the construction projects announced Friday have been awarded to minority- and women-owned business enterprise teams, the mayor's office announced. The projects are expected to create a total of 440 units of below-market-rate housing in Brooklyn the Bronx and Manhattan, according to the city.

“These minority- and women-owned business enterprise firms are offering first-rate projects that will serve a diverse set of New York communities and New Yorkers," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. "I congratulate them, and expect to see important work from each of them as we continue to work together in the future to protect affordability and quality of life in all our neighborhoods."

The development at 263-267 W. 126th St. will contain 29 housing units constructed to adhere to "passive building" standards. A passive building consumes far less energy than a conventional building due to its near-airtight construction and special air filtration system, according to Passive House Institute US.

The new development will also be the home of Silicon Harlem, a tech incubator that offers seven-week courses on STEM education and enrichment for high school students, according to the city. The third component of the development will be restaurant space, the mayor's office announced.

Photo courtesy of NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development