Construction gates recently seen up at the cul-de-sac that cuts off 129th Street from FDB/8th Avenue (center photo) have now indicated that the new $100 million Harlem Children's Zone building project has officially started along with the street restoration. Maps and sketches from HCZ (click on last image to enlarge) show the new building which will also include community centers accessible to those at the surrounding St. Nicholas Houses. A Daily News article confirms that groundbreaking did indeed happen and also that some folks in the housing project are still not happy about it:
LINK.
Modern urban planners would mostly conclude having open streets with foot traffic and activity deter crime so this restoration of 129th Street is also a first major step in the revitalization of this particular section of the New York street grid. Base on the HCZ material on the project, the new building appears to be similar to the 125th street location
(LINK) and the charter will provide extra security services on the renewed 129th Street block:
LINK. An overall timeline of 18-20 months is expected so Fall 2012 might be the date for the first classes.
The handout HZC material also reports that all 33 applications from the St. Nicholas Houses were accepted from a lottery last August since the housing project gets priority on enrollment.
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