Major Update Given On Inwood's Biggest Projects: A Breakdown

INWOOD, NY — The Land Use Committee had a packed meeting this week with representatives from various city agencies giving an update on the Inwood NYC Points of Agreement, which is a number of major commitments made by the city to the Upper Manhattan neighborhood coming out of the Inwood NYC Planning Initiative and rezoning.

For those who might not be familiar with the Points of Agreement, it includes 87 commitments for projects in Inwood being executed by over 15 agencies. There is more than $200 million in funding for the various neighborhood projects involved.

The projects include everything from park renovations, to fixes for waterfront infrastructure, to affordable housing, to arts and culture centers in Inwood.

This week, Katie Chen from the New York City Economic Development Corporation, led an update of the different Inwood projects for Community Board 12's Land Use Committee.

While almost all of the projects are Inwood-based, some of them do stretch into Washington Heights.

Here's a breakdown of a collection of the most important updates from the meeting.

Park Renovations and Improvements:

Monsignor Kett Playground: 500 West 204th Street

• "Overview: Rebuild Monsignor Kett Playground as an intergenerational park and destination.
• Status: Project is currently in procurement. Provided the contract award process is successful, construction is expected to start by end of 2021/early 2022."

Highbridge Water Tower stabilization: Amsterdam Avenue and West 173rd Street

• "Overview: Advance the restoration of the High Bridge Water Tower and establish public access.
• Status: Construction completion is expected by late 2021."

Here is a slide detailing the rest of the park renovations and improvements presented for Inwood through the Points of Agreement:

Waterfront Infrastructure/Parks

Harlem River Waterfront Infrastructure

• "Overview: Reconstruction/restoration of multiple waterfront structures from south of Dyckman Street to West 155th Street.
• Status: Restarted design in Fall 2020. Final design to be completed by mid-2022 and construction start anticipated for early 2023."

Dyckman Street Pier Improvements

• "Overview: Improvements include a fishing pier and canoe pier reconstruction, floating dock for larger vessels, improved community access at Dyckman Street, and shoreline repair.
• Status: Design start is expected in late 2021."

Here is a slide detailing the rest of the plans presented for waterfront parks set for Inwood through the Points of Agreement:

Affordable Housing Development

North Cove: 207th Street and 9th Avenue

• "Overview: Private site to be developed by Maddd Equities that will create over 600 new affordable homes and a new waterfront esplanade.
• Status: Development team is continuing to work with city agencies to finalize and approve street and open space designs. Closing for the first phase of the project is expected in 2022, at the earliest."

Charter/4095 Ninth Avenue

• "Overview: New lot created by reconfiguring two existing irregularly shaped lots will create roughly 570 new affordable homes, waterfront open space, and an innovation hub.
• Status: Continuing to advance land swap transaction. RFP is expected for 2022, at the earliest."

Here is a slide detailing the rest of the plans presented for affordable housing in Inwood through the Points of Agreement:

Wayne Benjamin, the chair of Manhattan Community Board 12's Land Use Committee, spoke up during the discussion about The Eliza development.

He remarked that many of these plans were too close to breaking ground or already underway for the community board to have appropriate time to give input and advice.

"When everything is done, and it is being presented, but it is being presented under the guise of getting community board input that feels less than genuine," Benjamin said. "So, all of these projects that are moving forward, we're not expecting that they're going to come to us when you're three weeks away from closing with JP Morgan Chase, and there's nothing that can be done."

Chen, from the NYC Economic Development Corporation, told him she'd pass along his remark to her superiors.

Infrastructure

Arts & Culture

There was also an update given about transportation projects in Inwood, which Patch will dedicate an article to next week.

You can watch the full Land Use Committee meeting below, and read more about the Inwood NYC Points of Agreement on the city's website.