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CityRoom is reporting that a lawyer named Adam Bailey representing small businesses located on Frederick Douglass Blvd. is proposing that 125th Street (from the Hudson to the East) be declared “Harlem Historic Zone.”
Characterizing attempts to have 125th street considered historical as “Harlem’s last stand”, CityRoom quotes Bailey as saying: “When the Brooklyn Bridge was built, they tore down George Washington’s house. Was that a good idea?”
While the chances that Bailey succeeds are slim, his attempt comes on the heels of Bloomberg’s proposal to re-zone Harlem (the first re-zoning of the area since 1961) to make way for condos and office buildings as high as 29 stories. In the event the push to declare 125th “historic” fails, Bailey says he will settle for some provisions to be made for affordable housing in the area.
– JNW
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@jpm Actually, the move to allow for high-rise commercial buildings on 125th st. was an idea that you can trace back to at least the 1980’s. They started cleaning up that area and really focusing on commercial development in the hopes that it could become a viable corridor. And decades later, it might be. If you look back that that policy the clarity is actually amazing.
@The King of Spain I’m not sure I understand what this guy is getting at.
There are ways to keep the community in the neighborhood, and a historic district really only affects the neighborhood, that is, the physical buildings, many of which are decrepit. A historic district meant to preserve businesses is a new one for me. Preserving a building for its unique qualities or particular significance – sorry just because george washington slept somewhere is it historic – that makes sense. How does it also save the residents?
Unless they freeze market sales, the construction of newer, higher-density developments might actually slow displacement because of greater capacity. Moreover, once Congestion Pricing is enacted, this area will probably feel some extra pressure for commercial development. Having condos and yuppies could prevent a serious deterioration in air quality as people contra-commute or drive cars there.
@ahhh snow, bwog, snooooooowwwwwwwwwwwWW!!!!
@slut i like to make out on the brooklyn bridge. thanks george!
@EAL More mindless histrionics from disgruntled Harlem residents. Let them eat cake! You can’t fight progress!
@Veritas EAL, I hope that people richer and more powerful than you cause the dispossession of your family and all of your children.
@Eric... Why would you even use those phrases? “Let them eat cake?” Do we want to sound like an oppressive regime that didn’t care about a large, poverty-stricken sector of the population?
“You can’t fight progress!” Do you realize how often that mindset was invoked as a false justification by the architects of Western imperialism? Mission Civilisatrice?
I mean, I support the university’s expansion, but let’s not sound like a bunch of pretentious, insensitive snobs.
@EAL Hey, it’s called sarcasm. Take a joke, pal. I’ve seen my share of douchebaggery on this forum and was only messing around. But in all seriousness, the attitude that we are a “oppressive regime” is what a few misguided people here (and certainly some members of the community) think. I do believe though that the expansion will benefit the neighborhood, even if it causes some displacement (and it was going to happen). All the same though, I still believe that this guy isn’t playing with a full deck.
@I may just be a mindless follower of The Man, but uhh yeah, I think the Brooklyn Bridge was a pretty good idea.
@Just Saying There are a lot of Brooklynites that disagree with you.
@e.g. the ones who prefer to swim to Manhattan?
@and there are a lot of Brooklynites who don’t…
also, what kind of question is “When the Brooklyn Bridge was built, they tore down George Washington’s house. Was that a good idea?” The answer’s clearly yes.
@RIP New York is dead. Long Live New York?
@Wow what a fucking dumbass. These guys are behaving like the Medieval Church did with Science. I hope they aren’t sincere, and that this is just to get leverage for CU to give them better terms.