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.
Why is it that the school has been abandoned for 30 years, and no one says anything. However, the moment that someone proposes to do something positive, i.e. housing, the "activist", come out from where ever, to protest.
ReplyDeleteI am so sick and tired of this B.S. in our community. Where are these same "activist", when little Ray-Ray shoots Rah-Rah.
Why dont we keep Harlem the same its been for years, that should help the tax base and improve services. Lets keep the abandon buildings, guns, drugs, and "keep it real".
The community board has been trying to get this off the ground for decades. The church group just didn't want to make it into a post office or any other plans that came along over the years. It's been abandoned because these non for profit guys now want to make a profit.
ReplyDeleteComment #1 must be a developer.
ReplyDeleteI live around the corner from this old school, and have stared at it for the past ten years. It's not about keeping Harlem the same, Harlem already isn't the same. But the Boys and Girls Club have been sitting on this building (Which they purchased for about $250,000) for almost 25 years. This is neglect. This isn't about someone swooping in and trying to do something good for the community. This building should be restored (like the Theater that's now an El Mundo, but that's another argument). 3333 Broadway is AWFUL for the community. It was a mistake. It needs to be knocked down. If they decided to knock PS 186 down instead of restoring it, my heart will be broken.
ReplyDeleteIf you ask me this club DOES NOT deserve anything in this building if it is retored. The city needs to take this over and build middle and upper middle class condos in a restored school - thereby helping the area and the city's tax coffers. Period!
ReplyDeletejust to be a bit more relevant, dattner's firm has done a whole load of stuff since then and most of it is far better than 3333. judging architects now on what they did in the 1970s is a bit foolish.
ReplyDeletethis is an dissscrace to harlem
ReplyDeleteallso some body should do some thing about ths i want to see this schhool re done
ReplyDeleteThis building should be restored (like the Theater that's now an El Mundo, but that's another argument). 3333 Broadway is AWFUL for the community. It was a mistake. It needs to be knocked down. If they decided to knock PS 186 down instead of restoring it, my heart will be broken. Building Demolition
ReplyDelete