DNAinfo reports that the proposed new $100 million Harlem Children's Zone building to break ground on 129th Street will be up for vote during the Community Board 10 Land Use Committee meeting on September 16th. The article also provides more photos on the cul-de-sac street that will be integrated back into the New York City street grid at 129th and includes the above graphic map of the new building (click to enlarge). Much of the protest over HCZ's arrival from the housing project residents is that a playground would be displaced to make way for the charter school (as seen in the article's slide show) but there are a couple of large alternatives in place on the complex. From the above map, one can see that the ACP/7th Avenue side has a 2-block long playground and basketball court from 127th to 129th Street along with another playground the next block up (all indicated as flat areas). It would seem that many of the opposed big school and university projects as of late eventually go through regardless of community board vote so this one will be an uphill battle. Read more in DNAinfo:
LINK. Check out our past posts on HCZ:
LINK
DNAinfo reports that the proposed new $100 million Harlem Children's Zone building to break ground on 129th Street will be up for vote during the Community Board 10 Land Use Committee meeting on September 16th. The article also provides more photos on the cul-de-sac street that will be integrated back into the New York City street grid at 129th and includes the above graphic map of the new building (click to enlarge). Much of the protest over HCZ's arrival from the housing project residents is that a playground would be displaced to make way for the charter school (as seen in the article's slide show) but there are a couple of large alternatives in place on the complex. From the above map, one can see that the ACP/7th Avenue side has a 2-block long playground and basketball court from 127th to 129th Street along with another playground the next block up (all indicated as flat areas). It would seem that many of the opposed big school and university projects as of late eventually go through regardless of community board vote so this one will be an uphill battle. Read more in DNAinfo: LINK. Check out our past posts on HCZ: LINK
Playground vs school with proven record of results. Gee. That's a tough one.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Sanou's Mum -- more and better schools. Also, anything that puts Harlem blocks back on the city grid is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Are people insane? Why are they against this? Project mentality. Jesus Harlem you have a long long way to go don't you?
ReplyDeleteSeriously-- there's the mentality of having a basketball court so you can play all the time and become an NBA star and filthy rich or you can, God forbid, go to a good school and work your ass off and do something meaningful--
ReplyDeleteSo you're going to choose hangin' and playin' bball?
Evidently for some that's the answer. Become a famous rapper is the fall back plan.
I wonder if Bill Perkins and other anti-charter school pols are behind this? Regardless, it is an inane sense of priorities. In the film The Lottery, public school parents were screaming their heads off trying to keep failing schools open and to block high performing charter schools from coming in. All I could think of was that someone was playing these people for fools, riling them up and using them to serve their own agenda. These are different circumstances but still something seems fishy...
ReplyDeleteBill Perkins and others have practically ruined Harlem by keeping Harlem poor and uneducated. Vote these guys out and real change will happen. I can't wait for someone like Geoffrey Canada to run for office!
ReplyDeleteI would not at all be surprised if Perkins is behind this considering his disdain for charter schools. He really needs to be voted out of office. I certainly plan on voting against him.
ReplyDeleteGeoffrey Canada rocks.
ReplyDeleteOne of the few so-called 'community leaders' to actually make a meaningful difference in their community.
He had the courage to go against politicians and received wisdom, and now, 10 years later, he has educated thousands of local kids... giving them the chance of stepping-up the economic ladder.
"...their group, Citizens for the Preservation of St. Nicholas Houses, has gathered 700 signatures from the more than 3,300 residents of the complex in opposition. At least one other opposition group has been formed."
ReplyDeleteHardly overwhelming oposition.
This is pretty much a done deal.
Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/20100904/harlem/residents-group-fights-plan-build-charter-school-st-nicholas-houses-park-space#ixzz0z4K589PS