Plan To Expand Harlem's Lenox Terrace Denied Again By Council

HARLEM, NY — Rejections are piling up for developers hoping to rezone Central Harlem's Lenox Terrace to double the size of the historic housing complex.

The City Council Land Use Committee voted unanimously to reject Olnick Organization's rezoning application for Lenox Terrace — bound by Lenox Avenue, Fifth Avenue, West 132nd Street and West 135th Street — to construct five new apartment towers containing 1,600 apartments. The plan would roughly double the size of the development, which currently has about 1,7000 apartments. Olnick initially applied for new 28-story towers, but downsized the plan to 19-story towers in an attempt to get existing residents on board with the plan.

The rezoning application would force Olnick to offer between 400 and 500 of the new apartments at below-market levels under the city's Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program.

Land Use Chair Rafael Salamanca of the Bronx was the latest city politician to describe Olnick's plans for Lenox Terrace as "inappropriate for its surrounding context" during Tuesday's vote. Salamanca also cited Olnick's unwillingness to work with the City Department of Housing Preservation and Development on a regulatory scheme to limit rent increases on existing tenants as a reason to vote against the application.

Prospects for Olnick's rezoning application took a big hit when local City Councilmember Bill Perkins said he couldn't support the project in February. Perkins, who is on the council's zoning subcommittee, said during last week's vote: "I have consistently sponsored and supported the individuals that will be most affected by this plan — the 3,000 tenants who call Lenox Terrace home." Members of the City Council generally fall in line with local representatives for votes on land use and development issues

The local lawmaker also cited concerns about Olnick's relationship with current tenants, saying that the developer "does not have a history of being a good actor in the community." Lenox Terrace residents previously sued Olnick for deregulating units in the complex despite collecting J51 tax exemptions.

Olnick recently revealed plans for an alternate, as-of-right expansion it may pursue if the rezoning is not passed by the city. In accordance with current zoning regulations, Olnick is allowed to build four 28-story towers at the corners of the Lenox Terrace superblock that would contain 500 market-rate units. Olnick also will not commit to rehabbing existing units or creating new public spaces or amenities under the as-of-right plan. Both the as-of-right scenario and the rezoning scenario will take about seven years to build.

"The proposed rezoning offers the greatest benefit to current residents and the Harlem community. We will continue to work with residents in the weeks ahead toward an agreement that earns their support for the plan for Lenox Terrace," an Olnick Organization spokesman said in a statement.