Harlem's One45 Development Gets Key Council Clearance After Years Of Setbacks

By Jonathan Custodio, The City

June 27, 2025

The City Council Land Use Committee and Zoning Subcommittee on Thursday approved the long-delayed One45 housing complex plan on West 145th Street at Lenox Avenue in Harlem, setting the stage for expected approval by the full Council on Monday.

The development would comprise 1,000 units of housing, including 338 that would be income-restricted, among three different buildings, according to a press release from the Council.

As approved, 126 of the 502 units in the largest building would be designated for households with an average of 60% of the area median income (AMI), which is currently $145,800 for a family of three. In a second building, 122 out of 408 units would be income-restricted with an average of 80% of the area median income. A Council spokesperson told THE CITY the 502-unit building would be 30-stories tall while the 408-unit building would be 32-stories tall.

The project now includes a third eight-story building with approximately 90 units that will be income-restricted housing for seniors.

Shortly before the vote, Councilmember Yusef Salaam, who represents the district, highlighted economic boosts to be provided, including commercial and technology space and local jobs and apprenticeship programs.

“This process was certainly not easy, and it’s not perfect, but with this is a start to offering Harlem residents both housing and economic opportunities for generations to come,” said Salaam. “This outcome creates much-needed affordable housing, good paying jobs, and opportunities for our next generations to grow and to prosper. In fact, this project sets the bar for the quality and the types of development that we require for Harlem moving forward.”

Amid concerns from residents about being priced out of historically Black Harlem, which added 18,000 white residents and lost more than 10,000 Black residents between 2010 and 2020, the project has faced an uphill battle.

Former City Councilmember Kristin Richardson Jordan had refused to support the development unless at least 57% of apartments were rented to families earning no more than 30% of the area median income — a proposition developer Bruce Teitelbaum said was economically not feasible. Thwarted by the Council, Teitelbaum followed through on a promise to alternatively turn the property into a truck depot.

Controversy continued as Teitelbaum tried to reboot development. A majority of Community Board 10 opposed One45 in an advisory vote earlier this year, but the project gained support from Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, now the Democratic nominee for city comptroller. Levine struck a tentative deal with Teitlebaum that included expanded community space and use of union construction workers.

The pending approval of One45 comes amid a broad push from many city lawmakers to increase the supply of housing all over the five boroughs and attempt to lower the overall cost of rent for New Yorkers.

Developers were able to advance the modified plan after a call to push forward last month from the New York Daily News Editorial Board and broader efforts to obtain more community support that included offering financial assistance to local institutions.

Under the new agreement, Teitelbaum agreed to increase the number of larger family-size units, according to Salaam. About 30% of the 910 units in the two towers will be two and three-bedroom apartments while the senior housing will consist of studios and one bedroom-apartments, according to a Council spokesperson.

Also included in the deal are legally-binding community benefits: a 23,000-square-foot technology center, job and apprenticeship programs that include paid internships program for local youth, an equity stake in the project for a still-to-be-selected Harlem-based developer and 30,000 square feet of commercial, retail and community facilities, with 20% set aside for Harlem businesses and a 20% minimum for local hiring.

An $8.8 million transformation of the Brigadier General Charles Young Playground across the site on Lenox Avenue is planned as well, along with consultants for and investments in the Esplanade Gardens co-op complex where residents have struggled with flooding, collapsed ceilings and dust.

Salaam said One45 aligns with one part of his vision “that centers on the type of collaboration and cooperation that benefits Harlem.”

“After years of a very real struggle that was very hard — we had very hard yet honest conversations with this applicant team, I’m proud to say that, today, we are approving a project that places Harlem and the needs of Harlemites at its core,” he said.

This press release was produced by The City. The views expressed here are the author’s own.