East Harlem Rezoning Implementation -DCP

Department of City Planning


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NYC Rezoning Commitments Tracker

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Brooklyn

Manhattan

Queens

Staten Island

Citywide

NYC Rezoning Commitments Tracker


Project Overview Updated Implementation

Summary

The City’s East Harlem Neighborhood Initiative is a broad and comprehensive plan to facilitate the development of affordable housing, preserve existing neighborhood character, improve the pedestrian experience, and enable new commercial and manufacturing space to support job creation. It covers 96 blocks generally bounded by East 104th street to the south, East 132nd Street to the north, Park Avenue to the west and Second Avenue to the east. The plan also features supporting initiatives related to infrastructure, economic development, workforce and community health.

The goals of the East Harlem Initiative are to:

Preserve East Harlem’s affordable housing and areas with strong existing context

Promote new housing, which includes requiring permanent affordable housing in East Harlem, for the first time, through the Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning program;

Provide opportunities for job-generating uses and economic development;

Leverage the neighborhood’s strong existing and future transportation infrastructure, which includes Phase II of the Second Avenue Subway; and

Ensure that new development enhances the streets and sidewalks of East Harlem with active ground floors and appropriate building heights.

The East Harlem Neighborhood Initiative builds on the recommendations of residents and stakeholders, including those in the East Harlem Neighborhood Plan (EHNP). The East Harlem Neighborhood Initiative is part of Housing New York, the Mayor’s plan to foster an equitable and livable city using zoning and other tools.

Key Zoning Changes

The rezoning is expected to facilitate the creation of nearly 2,700 new homes beyond what was previously permitted, a substantial proportion of which are expected to be affordable through the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program. The City is also prioritizing the development of affordable housing on public sites throughout East Harlem.

Additionally, the zoning would also strengthen the role of East Harlem as a major transit hub and job center by promoting the creation of new job-generating commercial and industrial space. Over ten years, the plan is projected to spur an estimated 122,000 square feet of stores and restaurants and 275,000 square feet of office and industrial space.

NEW HOUSING: Promote new housing, requiring for the first time in East Harlem permanently-affordable housing through the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program, along Park, Lexington, Third and Second Avenues.

PRESERVATION: Preserve existing affordable housing in East Harlem and preserve the built neighborhood character along mid-blocks and other areas with a strong existing architectural context.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Create opportunities for job growth and economic development while preserving the vitality of existing commercial and manufacturing uses along key corridors, including Park Avenue, Third Avenue and East 116th Street.

URBAN DESIGN: Ensure that new development enhances the streets and sidewalks of East Harlem with active ground floors, building heights appropriate for the neighborhood context and other regulations to create a safe and enjoyable pedestrian experience.

INFRASTRUCTURE + COMMUNITY FACILITIES: Leverage the neighborhood’s strong existing and future transportation infrastructure, which includes Phase II of the Second Avenue Subway, and ensure that community facilities support current demand and future growth in transit-accessible locations.

Major Investments

The East Harlem Initiative is more than just zoning. The plan also features supporting initiatives related to infrastructure, economic development, workforce, and community health that will benefit the community and enable it to thrive. These initiatives are summarized below. The Mayor’s Office of Operations provides annual updates on the status of these projects and programs on their website.

Housing

On December 27, 2017, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) released the final East Harlem Housing Plan, which summarizes the goals, strategies, and actions that the City is undertaking in East Harlem to preserve existing affordable housing, develop new affordable housing, improve access to affordable housing, and promote economic opportunity. Further details on each strategy can be found in the Housing Plan.

Preserve Affordable Housing

Finance and Safeguard Affordable Housing:

Keep existing homes affordable by continuing to offer loans and tax incentives to building owners

Continue promoting programs that help owners make repairs and preserve affordability

Pilot a Landlord Ambassadors Program to provide technical assistance to East Harlem property owners

Fund and support the East Harlem/El Barrio Community Land Trust

Implement the Neighborhood Pillars Program to help community organizations acquire rent-stabilized buildings

The City will commit $50 million in capital improvements in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments within East Harlem, including:

Modernize all ventilation in 17 East Harlem developments including 122 buildings and 12,179 apartments ($20 million)

Renovate kitchens and bathrooms at Leggett Memorial Early Childhood Center at 237 East 104th Street, Union Carver Early Childhood Center at 1565 Madison Avenue, and Union Washington Early Childhood Center at 1893 Second Avenue. Renovate playground at Jefferson Houses Early Childhood Center at 2211 First Avenue ($7.7 million)

Fund a new elevator at 335 East 111th Street ($1 million)

Replace boilers at Lehman Village and Wilson Houses ($13.2 million)

Conduct roof and parapet work at UPACA (Site 5) ($2.5 million)

Install new gas risers at Johnson Houses ($5.5 million)

Landlord Ambassadors Program
Source: Enterprise Community Partners

Johnson Houses (NYCHA)

Promote Safe and Healthy Housing

Continue to improve housing quality through rigorous enforcement of the Housing Maintenance Code

One of HPD’s Bedbug-sniffing Dogs. Source: HPD

Protect Tenants:

The City has demonstrated a commitment to protecting tenants in East Harlem by increasing funding for tenant legal services for low-income New Yorkers by $4.6 million, funding universal access to legal services for tenants facing eviction in Housing Court, and by going door-to-door in East Harlem with the City’s new Tenant Support Unit to inform tenants of their rights, document complaints and make referrals to free legal support when necessary.

Anti-Harassment Legal Services

Universal Access to CounselUniversal Access to Counsel

Tenant Support Unit (TSU)

Educate tenants about their rights and resources to prevent displacement

Continue to work with the Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force to investigate and take action against landlords who harass tenants

Establish a “Certificate of No Harassment” (CONH) Pilot Program

Include East Harlem in the new “Partners in Preservation” initiative to develop a comprehensive anti-displacement strategy for the neighborhood, including a commitment of $500,000 to implement this initiative pilot

Tenement Buildings in East Harlem

Develop New Affordable Housing

Prioritize the development of over 2,600 affordable homes on publicly owned land1

Acacia Gardens – 179 affordable units

Lexington Gardens II – 400 affordable units

Sendero Verde – 680 affordable units

NIHOP / NCP RFQ Clusters – 80 affordable units

125th Street MEC Center – 760 affordable units

126th Street Bus Depot – 584 affordable units

Acacia Gardens
Source: Magnusson Architecture and Planning

Lexington Gardens II
Source: Curtis & Ginsberg Architects

Sendero Verde
Source: L+M Development

Prioritize additional public sites for affordable housing development

HRA East Harlem Multi-Service Center

NYPD 25th Precinct Parking Lot

DSNY 123rd Street Parking Lot *

Urban Assembly School *
* Pending feasibility analysis

Continue to offer financing to incentivize the development of affordable housing that exceeds minimum MIH requirements

Support mission-driven groups interested in developing affordable housing on underutilized sites

Explore opportunities to finance the development of affordable artist housing

1Actual unit counts may vary depending on final approved design at project closing. 126th St Bus Depot unit counts are based on Environmental Impact Statement projections and the commitment that at least 80% of all homes on this site would be affordable. Actual number of affordable units will be determined after an RFP is released and a developer is designated.

Promote Economic Opportunity

Connect residents to good jobs in the building trades through the Upper Manhattan Workforce1 Career Center and the forthcoming East Harlem Satellite Workforce1 Center

Expand local hiring incentives in HPD-financed developments

Expand opportunities for Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) in the affordable housing development industry

Workforce1 Career Center Training. Source: SBS

Improve Access to Affordable Housing

Make it easier to understand, prepare for and complete the affordable housing application process

Affordable Housing Applicants Receive Assistance from City Staff. Source: HPD

Open Space and Public Realm

The community has joined the Department of Parks and Recreation to design the Harlem River Greenway Link Park, a new, seven-block long waterfront park along the Harlem River between East 125th and East 132nd Streets that will showcase over $100 million in capital investments. This seven-acre park will feature bicycle and pedestrian paths and will provide new access for East Harlem residents that are currently disconnected from the Manhattan Greenway.

Public Outreach for the Harlem River Greenway Link. Source: DOT

The City has committed an additional $15 million for repairs to the East River Esplanade between East 96th and East 125th Street, which will supplement the repair work that has already been funded in this area.

Current East River Esplanade Conditions. Source: DPR

Responding to strong community desire for more comfort stations in parks throughout East Harlem, $4.7 million has been set aside to construct a comfort station in Harlem River Park to serve the heavily used ballfields near the upland portion of the park.

Harlem River Park Ballfields. Source: DPR

Build intergeneration playgrounds to accommodate seniors in local parks

Improve way-finding to Randall’s Island

Small Business, Workforce and Economic Development

Increase access to employment opportunities for local residents: The City has committed $500,000 towards establishing a satellite Workforce1 Career Center in East Harlem in order to offer connections to employment and training services, including services for target populations such as out-of-school, out-of-work youth aged 18 to 24 years old

Fund local workforce development training: SBS will partner with community organizations to connect East Harlem residents to employer-informed trainings provided through the Workforce1 Center System, with the City dedicating $150,000 in funding in order to connect participants to quality jobs within in-demand, growth sectors such as healthcare, construction and technology.

Protect and enhance viability of local businesses through SBS grants: Through its Neighborhood 360° grant program, SBS has funded $1.49M to local non‐profit partners to staff, plan and, implement customized commercial revitalization programs for East Harlem’s primary commercial corridors based on a recently‐completed Commercial District Needs Assessment for the neighborhood.

East Harlem Commercial District Needs Assessment and East 116th Street.
Sources (from left to right): SBS, DCP

The Speaker’s Office and the New York City Economic Development Corporation have allocated $25 million in capital funding and developed a conceptual plan for future investments at La Marqueta, with a design phase expected to be completed in FY18 and construction anticipated to start in the winter of 2019.

Transportation and Safety

The City has set aside $560,000 for the installation of 13 Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) devices to provide information in non-visual formats, such as audible tones, speech messages and vibrating surfaces, to improve safety for visually-impaired pedestrians.

Pedestrians crossing Park Avenue. Source: DOT

Fund a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) study and implement new routes in East Harlem

Modify parking and commercial delivery / unloading regulations along East 125th St

Build a new Select Bus Service station on 125th St and Lexington Avenue

A Select Bus Station. Source: DOT

The new East 125th Street Plaza project will be constructed under the Park Ave Metro-North Viaduct between East 124th and East 126th Streets and will contain a newly‐constructed plaza area and other amenities such as expanded sidewalks surrounding the Metro‐North station, improved crosswalks, enhanced street lighting and traffic signal timing changes to improve the pedestrian experience and calm traffic movements nearby.

Locate additional benches in areas that provide respite for seniors

Provide funding to the East Harlem COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disasters) ($15,000)

Explore locations for a new Evacuation Center for East Harlem residents

Education

For the 2017‐18 school year, the City created three new Community Schools in East Harlem that function as neighborhood hubs by allowing students to receive high-quality academic instruction, offering access to social services for families and providing a gathering space for communities to share resources and address common challenges. The three schools are:

PS 83 Luis Munoz Rivera (City Year)

PS 108 Assemblyman Angelo Del Toro Educational Complex (The Leadership Program)

Esperanza Preparatory Academy School (Union Settlement)

PS 83 Luis Munoz Rivera.
Source: Cyclomedia

PS 108 Assemblyman Angelo Del Toro Educational Complex.
Source: Cyclomedia

Esperanza Preparatory Academy
Source: Cyclomedia

As part of a citywide initiative, the Department of Education will expand its 3-K for All programs across East Harlem by 2018 to provide free, full-day, high-quality education for 3-year olds in the neighborhood.

3-K for All activities. Source: DOE

Improve access to early care and education

As part of the 2018 Fiscal Year Budget, the City has committed to ensuring every classroom in East Harlem and across the City has air conditioning by 2022.

Park East High School. Source: Cyclomedia

Increase the number of schools that offer Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs

Increase afterschool funding for high school students

Arts and Culture

Implement the Building Community Capacity Program in East Harlem

Designate historic and culturally significant buildings as landmarks:

Public School 109 – 215 East 99th Street

Benjamin Franklin High School – 260 Pleasant Avenue

The Richard Webber Harlem Packing House – 207-215 East 119th Street

Additionally, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is expediting a detailed and comprehensive look at the First Spanish United Methodist Church (163 East 111th Street) for landmark consideration due to its role in the history of the Young Lords in New York City.

PS 109
Source: LPC

Benjamin Franklin High School
Source: LPC

The Richard Webber Harlem Packing House.
Source: LPC

Health

Fund targeted local marketing for the NYC Well program.

Expand mental health first aid training, with a focus on youth

Conduct outreach and identify new Opioid Overdose Prevention Providers (OOPP) in East Harlem

The City invested $1.7 million to create the new East Harlem Neighborhood Health Action Center to provide co‐located health and social services, including SNAP and Health Insurance enrollment, HIV/AIDS programs, nutrition education and cooking classes, urban gardening and physical activity programs, mental health services for children and families, as well as a Federally Qualified Health Center and a community kitchen. Expense funding of $1 million per year will also be provided for the continued operations of the facility.

The East Harlem Neighborhood Health Action Center

Sustainability

Coordinate with Agencies to incorporate green infrastructure into City projects

DEP will seek opportunities in the district to connect with existing homeowners and new developers to expand the Green Infrastructure Grant Program to private properties throughout CD11

Sanitation

DSNY will immediately begin planning for the development of a long-term facility to serve District 11 sanitation needs, and will explore options for a consolidated facility that meets LEED gold standards and can house multiple garages serving surrounding districts. DSNY will engage on a quarterly basis with a stakeholder group including representatives from Community Board 11, the local Council Member, the Manhattan Borough President and other local stakeholders to develop a shared vision for the facility that incorporates community feedback.

DSNY Sanitation Facility. Source: DSNY

Follow-Up Actions

Integrate subway station entrances into building envelopes at East 116th Street and Lexington Avenue

Study parking requirements in East Harlem

Establish a height limit in the R10 district on Park Avenue between East 122nd and East 124th Streets

Follow up correction to height limit on Park Avenue between East 115th and East 118th Streets

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