After we purchased the site along 145th Street and Lenox Avenue several years ago, our plan was to immediately start building our as-of-right project, which included approximately 40,000 square feet of market rate condominiums. We were not required to build any affordable housing or provide any other community benefit.
At the time of our acquisition, the site was in disrepair. Dangerous and unsightly conditions were a drag on the block. Previous ownership did not invest in maintenance, so when we took over the situation at the site was bad. We had do something and move quickly to restore this important stretch of Harlem.
But then we were approached by some civic leaders who asked us to reconsider the as-of-right option. Instead of pursuing our original plan, which would have immediately displaced some and then soon thereafter all of the existing commercial tenants, we agreed to consider pursuing a different, much riskier, but much more impactful path. Of note, our original plan would have displaced the National Action Network (NAN), which has continuously operated on the site for more than 25 years. We were mindful of NAN’s importance to the neighborhood and how displacing it would have impacted the community.
So we put our original plans on hold. Starting around the middle of 2017 we began a series of meetings with numerous influential community leaders and groups to let them know what we were asked to do and that we were conditionally agreeable. We wanted to know what the community leaders thought before we made a final decision. We shared our thinking about what the new plan would mean and asked for input and guidance. We spent many months in consultation with these local stakeholders to figure out the best way to proceed. Only when we were persuaded that our plan was viable and accepted did we make the final decision to move forward.
It was at that point we agreed to undertake the very expensive, risky, and time-consuming process of rezoning our site. Our new plan was designed to build hundreds of new affordable housing units, a cultural center, a new headquarters for the National Action Network, space for new local retail and commercial business, and a basketful of other community amenities. Once we made the final decision to forgo our As-of-right entitlement and instead seek a rezoning, we did the right thing by our commercial tenants who were permitted to remain on site for as long as possible. We even dropped litigation started by the previous owner against some of the tenants, as a sign of good faith. Through the toughest days of COVID and through today, we stood by our tenants and worked with them so the community would continue be served.
Over the past several years we have worked tirelessly to design a first-rate project that reflects the needs and concerns of the neighborhood. We have met and continue to meet with community leaders, elected officials, civic and business groups to listen and learn. Our plan has evolved over time and has been modified as a result of our community outreach. And now that we have just started the ULURP process, we continue to solicit the advice and support of local stakeholders because our objective is to build something that balances the needs of the neighborhood and our own legitimate business interests. Afterall, we could have built something long ago, but that would not have been anywhere near as beneficial to the community. We haven’t looked back and we remain committed to our plan, which may not be perfect, but we think is overwhelmingly positive for the community and for us. That is what a good deal is all about. It has to be good for both sides even if no one gets everything they want.