☞ DWELL: P.S. 90 Condominiums

After seeing the on-going, decades long saga of P.S. 186 at a standstill, its refreshing to see that there has been progress in restoring some of the other historic schools in Harlem. P.S. 90 is slated to open its doors again this fall as condominiums and we dropped by to see how it was coming along this past weekend. Closed since 1975, it will be almost three decades later for the school building to open once more. Located in between the blocks of 147th and 148th Street between FDB/8th Avenue and ACP/7th Avenue, the building really is the last transformative events to happen to this section of Harlem. On the FDB side, and the 148th Street section at the front of the building, the old prewar building are pristine and the sidewalks look brand new. Only the 8th Avenue section that borders this micro nabe is still a little rough around the edges with some views of lofty old public housing buildings at the end of the block. We were thrilled to see that many new windows are up for the majority of the building and that the light at the end of a long tunnel seems to be at hand. Bravo to the website also. It's one of the best designed ones we have seen so far that gives a nod to history and is contemporary at the same time: www.ps90condo.com

☞ PROTECT: Possible Landmark For P.S. 186

Last night, we had an insider take notes on the contentious Community Board 9 meeting that had the room in debate for an hour over the fate of the controversial school building P.S. 186. The historic building was sold to the M.L. Wilson Boys and Girls Club of Harlem 23 years ago with the stipulations that the building would be restored within three years and 85% of the space would be used for non-profit use. The club now wants to demolish the entire structure and build a high rise with only 25% of space used for the organization. In 2007, all parties agreed that constructing higher was possible if it involved housing that would address the immediate community and that the original building would be saved.

At this week's meeting, a spokesperson for the developer handled tough questions with parsed statements. When explaining what constituted "affordable housing," she delivered a rote response that used median income statistics for all of New York City, not specifically residents of Harlem (starting income caps for the affordable rental units would be $47K versus the neighborhood average income of $29K). She offered no real concrete explanation for why the original building could not be included in the new design, except that the architect deemed it not salvageable (a perspective that audience members questioned for bias). The example of P.S. 90 came up a couple of times since its developers were able to restore the school for roughly $40 million and found an architect that kept the original structure as a whole. Actually, five out of the six contending proposals for P.S. 186 incorporated the original school in its design, but the Club rejected them for the bigger project that would require rezoning the neighborhood.

Even among the many scenarios, preserving P.S. 186 had a lot of support in the room from old-timers and newcomers. Locals who remember attending the school and newer, younger residents voiced their concerns about demolishing the old building. There was a small portion of people who just wanted anything built, but the crowd in general was wary of the developer's and the Club's intentions. With heated debate already filling the room, one of the community members announced a pending proposal for landmarking the school building in the new year. The Landmarks Commission has calendared a meeting in the second week of January to review the subject with the board, thus adding another layer to the saga. One concerned community member complained that having a building landmarked would cause constant approval delays and that P.S. 186 could stay there forever. The crowd erupted in applause upon hearing this.

The next meeting will be on January 10th, 2010 at the Fortune Society, 630 Riverside Drive and 140th Street. Meetings usually start at 6:30 PM, and this will be the last public review before the board makes their final decision on voting for the approval of the project and the required rezoning. Community Board 9 covers Hamilton Heights, Manhattanville and Morningside Heights. Read more in our past post and see the project architect's past work: LINK. Photo by Ulysses

REMEMBER: THE EFFORTS TO RESTORE P.S. 186

P.S 186 is quickly being renovated now on 145th Street almost 30 years after the old school house was sold to a local church non-profit.  The government's goal was to have a new owner restore the building for community use but somewhere in the past decade or so plans for demolition had been offered up to replace the majestic old structure with a high-rise condo.  Preservationist tried to get the building protected from bulldozers but internal CB9 landmark committee votes to proceed with a historic designation were always vetoed by general board votes.  There seemed to be a lot of politics involved and the owners of the building even had an architect hired for the condo project explain to the audience of the community board that the old building could physically not be saved.

Community members siding with the demolition of the building even spoke up while carrying newborn babies with them when giving speeches.  Their voiced concern was that if the building did not get razed for the new construction, their children would not benefit from the community center yet to be built.  P.S. 186 was an unsalvageable blight to these folks.

On the other hand, the other school P.S. 90 located just a bit further up north was in a similar condition earlier in the last decade and had successfully sold out as majority market rate condos.  A community space was also established for that building and there was even an affordable housing component to some of the units.  Everyone was happy over in CB10 with the end results.  At the end, the big recession hit and this could have possibly altered general plans for big development.  Sometimes just over a year ago, it was announced that government subsidies and tax breaks were being applied to P.S. 186 to restore the building to its original glory.

It was hard for an outsider to see through the politics of the local community board meetings on the building but one moment outside of the discourse always stuck with us.   On one of our earlier photo outings a few years ago, an older local gentleman with a cane noticed our viewing of the unofficial landmark.  He asked if we thought the building was beautiful (because he had always thought so) and said his wish was that the school would be restored one day for the community.

☞ PROTECT: Save P.S. 186 From Demolition

Raise your voice at the Community Board 9 meeting, this Tuesday, December 15th, at 6:30 PM at Fortune Society (630 Riverside Drive at 140th Street). The M.L. Wilson Boys and Girls Club of Harlem, which controls the abandoned P.S. 186 (top photo) on 145th Street, is planning to demolish the building to make way for a new club headquarters and income-generating housing units. But some activists in the community are raising a skeptical eyebrow -- and are now raising their voices in protest at a critical zoning meeting -- to this development maneuver, which involves architect Richard Dattner.

Fearing that the neighborhood is in for a repeat of Dattner's "urban renewal" eyesore at 3333 Broadway (last photo), a group of community members are encouraging citizens to voice their concerns this coming Tuesday. (Community Board 9 decisions affects all citizens of Hamilton Heights, Manhattanville and Morningside Heights)

Our own previous post questioned the government's decision to allow the M. L. Wilson Boys and Girls Club to proceed with any plan. After all, the organization's leaders did not follow through with an agreement to restore the property within three years when Reverend Mannie Wilson, the club's namesake, purchased it -- 23 years ago. Given recent government lawsuits against Citarella and community organizer Ethel Bates, who failed to fulfill their promises to restore the once-city-owned properties that they had acquired, P.S. 186 should also be a candidate to charge with neglect of the original contract. The P.S. 90 condos (second photo), another former public school, is a good example how these deals can beneficially work out for the community and its architectural heritage within a quick and reasonable time period. Why should P.S. 186 be any different? Top two photos by Ulysses. Last photo by pdstahl via Flickr.

☞ INTRODUCING: The PS90 Model Apartment

While we are on the subject of historic schools, our favorite, most recent adaptive reuse project, PS90, gave Harlem Bespoke a tour of a complete model apartment yesterday. The two bedroom, two bath, 1,484 square foot dwelling has the usual amenities that one would find in a true, luxury building but with better design elements than most. The initial impression is that the space has a European style feel to it with the mix of modern and traditional elements. Wide plank oak floors, in a matte finish, allude to the old and new at the same time with the key feature being the herringbone pattern in the living area (top photo). Ceiling heights are 12 feet, and the views in the main areas are framed by the tall, original, schoolhouse windows. There's the required washer dryer unit, cleverly hidden in a closet, the stainless steel kitchen and the marble bath, all done in a contemporary fashion but making good use of mixing modern textures and materials.

Kudos to in-house interior designer, Fabienne Benmoha, whose eye for art and furnishings provided a much warmer interior than one would expect in a modern condo. PS90 is located at 220 West 148th Street between FDB/8th Avenue and ACP/7th Avenue, nearest subway is the 3 express train at 148th Street, which is just a block away. One final note is that, even though the building will not be complete until the middle of next year, one market rate apartment sold already and another is in contract.www.ps90condo.com. Read about our past post on PS 90 for more back on this unique condo development in Central Harlem: LINK. Photos by Ulysses

☞ DWELL: P.S. 90 Condos Opens Sales Office

We covered the work-in-progress PS90 last month and have been informed the new sales offices are open for those who might be interested. Located at 220 West 148th Street, PS90 is in the process of being redeveloped into a residential development after being vacant since the 1970s. PS90 will feature 75 condominium residences in a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes ranging in size from approximately 700 – 1,640 square feet and in price from $450,000 – $899,000. See our previous post for current photos of the building and our comments on the immediate neighborhood: LINK. www.ps90condo.com

☞ DWELL: Next Rehab and Development for L+M

L + M Development Partners who are recently finishing up the condo conversion of PS 90 on West 148th Street will start on a new project in South Harlem. The Read Deal reports that the firm secured $27.7 million in construction funding to rehab a 120 unit affordable housing building at 1482 Fifth Avenue, between 116th and 117th Street (top photo). The developers also bought a parcel of land next to the building (lower photo) for $5.1 million and will start on designing a new building with a mixed percentage of affordable and market rate condos. Tax exempt bonds are being used to finance the existing building on Fifth Avenue and the renovations that would include a new roof, Energy Star appliance and a new venilation system will be finished by end of 2010. The new building, which will sit directly across the street from the Kalahari on 116th Street, will be finished mid 2011. Read more about it in the Real Deal: LINK. Photos by Ulysses

☞ WALK: West 147th Street Building Signs

Discovering old signage painted on buildings is always an interesting historical find. When we looked at P.S. 90 this past weekend, we ran into these triptych of advertising for Omega Oil on the sides of the buildings on West 147th Street between ACP/7th Avenue and Malcolm X/6th Avenue. Guessing from the look of the ads, they seem to be at least from the 1920's since the lettering still has a curvilinear nature to it. Another clue: a trial bottle was 10 cents.

These painted signs, which appeared throughout the city (including 67th Street and Broadway), were the brainchild of nineteenth-century advertising executive Michael Wineburgh, founder of the Omega Oil Company and a Harlem resident as the original owner of the Mt. Morris Park townhouse at 216 W. 122nd Street. For those who are interested in seeing his handiwork, the nearest train to the three giant panels is the A,B,C,D on 145th Street or the 3 train on 148th.

☞ REVIVE: P.S. 109 Groundbreaking

Tuesday, October, 2nd, 4:00PM-8:00PM, Groundbreaking for P.S. 106 Restoration, 215 East 99th Street, between 3rd and 2nd Avenue.  The abandoned P.S. 106 school building in East Harlem will be transformed into 90 affordable live/work space for artists and the ground breaking is set for Tuesday afternoon.  Expect to see entertainment provided by Johnny Colon and his Orchestra, local artists and Mayor Bloomberg will be included as one of the guest speakers.  More details can be found on the East Harlem Preservation site: LINK

ARCHITECTURE: TWO RENDERINGS OF P.S.85

Curbed NY has a story up about P.S.85 in East Harlem that has the original 2005 rendering posted for the shuttered former public school building.  Surprisingly, we actually think the dramatic glass addition on the top of the roof of a completely restored schoolhouse somehow looks like it could land in a few architectural magazines for its bold juxtaposition of historic and post-modern.  The newer version stumbles because of the removal of the ornate cornice and parapet details which majestically crowns the original design and in turn makes this development look like one of the more generic contemporary buildings that have been built in the past decade.  More details about this 90-unit adaptive reuse construction at 117th and 1st Avenue can be found on Curbed: LINK

☞ REVIVE: More Details on Financing PS 186

The last time a major newspaper reported on PS 186 was when The New York Times stated a couple of years ago that it would be demolished to make way for a new building but details for restoring the historic school building has now been finalized as of last summer.  A Harlem Community Development Corporation summary page has the details as below for the financing of the $79.3 million project which ends over two decades of feuding within the community board on protecting the building at 145th Street.

 "The build program for the Project has been modified. Instead of demolishing the existing structure and building a larger new structure BGCH will retain and renovated the existing, landmark-eligible building which will house approximately 90 units of housing in addition to the new facility for BGCH. The community facility and retail components of the build program, for where there were no anchor tenants and for which project financing could not be secured, have been eliminated. Retention of the existing building makes the Project eligible for historic tax credit financing. The application for the low income tax credits for the residential part of the Project will be submitted in June 2012. Closing on construction financing is expected to occur by year-end 2012."

Some have been questioning the source of financing and the HCDC document has "NYC Housing Development Corporation, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Tax Credit Equity, New York State and City capital grant funds" all listed: LINK

Building rendering via Dattner Architects

☞ REVIVE: An Update on PS 186

Thursday, July 18th, 6:30PM, Community Board 9 Land Use Meeting at the Broadway Housing Building, 583 Riverside Drive by 135th Street, 7th floor gallery. The Land Use and Zoning Committee at CB9 will be hosting the Boys and Girls Club this month in a community board meeting that will update everyone on any progress made with the PS 186 School site.  As most know by now, the school on West 145th Street was abandoned decades ago and the nonprofit has been promising to restore the historic building since the 80s.  Financing for the $79.3 million project which would include 90 affordable housing units was supposed to happen by the end of 2012 but permits for construction have not been filed yet.   Harlem School of the Arts will also be introducing their preliminary plans for the site adjacent to their building on St. Nicholas Avenue at this meeting.

INTRODUCING: A RENOVATED P.S. 85 IN EAST HARLEM

Harlem Bespoke: The adaptive reuse development at the formerly abandoned P.S. 85 on First Avenue by 117th Street finally finished up and we were able to get a glimpse of the 90-unit rental building in East Harlem this week.  Initial plans were posted back in 2014 but it appears that things just started to finish up in recent months.  There is an official website for this residence now called 2269 First and Winter 2018 was the original leasing date.  Check out our past post for some historic photos of the original public school: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2019

LOTTERY: MIDDLE INCOME RENTALS IN EL BARRIO

Harlem Bespoke:  We have been covering the restoration efforts of the old P.S. 85 building in El Barrio at  East 117th Street and 1st Avenue since 2014 and currently the 90-unit development is offering up a few affordable units through the housing lottery.

LOTTERY: MIDDLE INCOME RENTALS IN EL BARRIO

Harlem Bespoke:  We have been covering the restoration efforts of the old P.S. 85 building in El Barrio at  East 117th Street and 1st Avenue since 2014 and currently the 90-unit development is offering up a few affordable units through the housing lottery.

LOTTERY: MIDDLE INCOME RENTALS IN EL BARRIO

Harlem Bespoke:  We have been covering the restoration efforts of the old P.S. 85 building in El Barrio at  East 117th Street and 1st Avenue since 2014 and currently the 90-unit development is offering up a few affordable units through the housing lottery.

LOTTERY: MIDDLE INCOME RENTALS IN EL BARRIO

Harlem Bespoke:  We have been covering the restoration efforts of the old P.S. 85 building in El Barrio at  East 117th Street and 1st Avenue since 2014 and currently the 90-unit development is offering up a few affordable units through the housing lottery.

LOTTERY: MIDDLE INCOME RENTALS IN EL BARRIO

Harlem Bespoke:  We have been covering the restoration efforts of the old P.S. 85 building in El Barrio at  East 117th Street and 1st Avenue since 2014 and currently the 90-unit development is offering up a few affordable units through the housing lottery.

LOTTERY: MIDDLE INCOME RENTALS IN EL BARRIO

Harlem Bespoke:  We have been covering the restoration efforts of the old P.S. 85 building in El Barrio at  East 117th Street and 1st Avenue since 2014 and currently the 90-unit development is offering up a few affordable units through the housing lottery.