Monday, June 25, 2012

☞ REVIVE: 467 West 140th in the Journal

Back in March, neighbors of the townhouse at 467 West 140th Street tried to prevent the demolition of the historic building and the story has now made it to the Wall Street Journal.  It turns out that $4,000 was spent by a concerned resident on the block to get an engineer to plan out the structural renovations for the building located close to City College in Hamilton Heights and that same benefactor offered to buy the property.

The government has since blocked the sale and wants the original board of the charity that owns the building to step in to formerly file for an appraisal and have real estate brokers involved.  This said charity has basically disappeared in the past couple of decades and owes $127,000 in back taxes.  In the meantime, demolition is still looming and an extension has been denied for this particular case. Read more in the Journal: LINK
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5 comments:

  1. MaxJune 25, 2012 at 5:51 PM

    Typical Harlem. Between the bureaucracy and the crooked "charities" and churches (real or otherwise), this whole neighborhood is mired in decay and stagnation. It's disgusting that concerned citizens who try to make a difference are thwarted at every turn, and what's worse, called all sort of names and maligned for their troubles. Heaven forbid anyone try to break the cycle of corruption and apathy. Ulysses, I think you need to amend the post above to note that this so called charity now owes $131K instead of $127K. They owe their neighbor now too.

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  2. westsiderJune 26, 2012 at 8:43 AM

    Max, I sympathize with your frustration at the comedy of dysfunction the persists in Harlem. The churches that hold these crumbling buildings are acting as a menace to the community and the city has only two responses, 1) ignore a decaying building or 2) tear it down. However, take heart that not so long ago the brownstone side streets of Harlem where the very essence of neglect and decay. With the influx of newcomers, those same streets now have many beautifully restored homes, each one brought back one by one by individual brownstoners. The tide has turned, I only wish it did for this building.

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    1. MaxJune 26, 2012 at 11:34 AM

      Thank you, Westsider. You're absolutely right, of course. The combination of reading about the valiant but ultimately unsuccessful efforts of the neighbors, coupled with the mere mention of Abyssinian just made me despair a bit. What a wonderful glass half-full observation you made, and it was exactly what I needed. Onwards!

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  3. GuestJune 26, 2012 at 9:43 AM

    Where is the Community Cultural Associate, Mr. Michael Henry Adams when u need him?

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  4. UlyssesJune 26, 2012 at 10:02 AM

    Mr. Adams actually sent messages to the media and local preservationist in March when the demolition permits where first placed on the building.

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