Several of the major, sprawling "towers in the park," superblock complexes in Harlem are actually in the affordable category (as oppose to low-income) and more recently have had problems with the transitioning into market rate housing. Developers started buying up several Harlem properties in deals similar to downtown's Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town which had the goal of converting many of the apartments into market rate units over a period of time. Elevators, common areas and gardens were all renovated to higher, modern standards but many claim the rent-stabilized apartments were neglected in favor of updating available market rate units. This transition to market rate apartments has been slow and costly in recent years and many of the buildings are facing bigger financial issues as a direct result.The Wall Street Journal today reports on how the former Delano Village, now known as the Savoy Park (Lenox, between 139th and 142nd Street), is in trouble in defaulting on their loans after buying out the rent stabilized apartments for $175 million in 2006: LINK. More recently, the Riverton Houses (5th Avenue between 135th and 138th) went into foreclosure and was sold to new owners in an auction for $125 million: LINK. Then there's the 35-story, 3333 Broadway in West Harlem (between 133rd and 135th) which many of its section 8 tenants have accused the new owners of driving tenants out by neglect of the rent stabilized units: LINK. It's unclear how that building will eventually fare but it's adjacent proximity to Columbia's future Manhattanville campus have many worried for what the future entails: LINK. All photos by Ulysses
I don't know abut the other properties, but I know that there are several housing court actions in place against 3333 Broadway. I hope at least one of them is for harassment, and I hope that they have similar actions filed with DHCR.
ReplyDeleteToo often, tenants do not seek these recourses - a big mistake.
Same old story. How can the generational cradle to grave welfare class, immune to the cost of living, be uprooted from one of the most expensive cities in America. Hook or by crook, who really cares as long as asset holders (developers & buyers) are served.
ReplyDelete@Faria - Why do you hope that one of the housing court actions is for harassment? Do you have evidence that they are harrassing or is that just a biased assumption?
ReplyDeleteGood grief.
ReplyDeleteOne of the major issues at 3333 is that in order to attract fair market tenants they have to clean up the act of a few losers living there who think that they are entitled to keep the place like a NYCHA project.
ReplyDeleteThe noise, garbage and bad behavior are simply not being tolerated by the new owners.They are merely enforcing the rules and regulations that most standard leases contain.I don't think that is harassment
@ GetRidOfTheProjects: I wouldn't call the folks who live @ The Riverton "Generational Welfare Class." Many of them are working to near-middle class or were when they were younger and are now spending their retirement years in the same apartment.
ReplyDeleteTo be blunt, there's no difference between Stuyvesant Town and The Riverton besides, location, size of the developments and the ethnic makeup of the tenants.
I agree with Stan. And media sources have made that comparison.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the problem people, drawing on my own experience, I would bet that they are not the same population bringing housing court actions - usually, too much to hide.
That said, the complaints and violations of record are not legal recourses for enforcing "the rules and regulations that most standard leases contain." Holdover proceedings are; refusing to resolve mold, mice, and bedbugs is not.