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