Rehab Of Harlem River Housing Project OK'd After Privatization

HARLEM, NY — A $130 million plan by private developers to rehabilitate the historic but decaying Harlem River Houses won the unanimous backing of the city's landmarks commission this week, clearing the way for the project to begin.

The nine-acre public housing development was completed in 1937, spread across several blocks above West 151st Street between Macombs Place and the Harlem River Drive. More than 1,000 tenants live in nearly 600 apartments across the complex.

The city's first federally-funded housing project, it was designated a city landmark in 1975 for its historical significance and its community-centered architecture, which included artwork, gathering spaces and retail storefronts.

In 2019, the New York City Housing Authority announced plans to transfer management of the Harlem River Houses over to private developers in an effort to secure much-needed repairs for the aging buildings. That move, part of NYCHA's controversial PACT program, was met with skepticism from tenants and spurred protests earlier this year.

Now, those developers — Settlement Housing Fund and West Harlem Group Assistance — are pledging to carry out renovations that will improve residents' kitchens and bathrooms, repair heating and cooling systems, add green space and upgrade common areas, among other changes. Earlier this month, they won the backing of Community Board 10, whose members voted overwhelmingly to support the Harlem River Houses' renovations.

On Tuesday, representatives for the developers told members of the Landmarks Preservation Commission that the renovations would restore the Harlem River Houses to some of their former glory. Besides upgrades to apartments and common areas, architects also worked with tenants to pick new furniture and lighting for the outdoor plazas — showing photographs of the current lights, which barely illuminate the plazas at night.

"Our goal is to create quality lighting and decent security, and you can see why currently that does not exist," architect Mark Ginsberg told the commission.

The commission ultimately voted seven to zero, with one abstention, to support renovating the landmarked buildings. Work may begin as soon as January, the Uptowner reported this month.

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