The Post announced that the huge lot on the corner of Park Avenue and 125th Street will now have two of the tallest towers in Harlem planned for the site. Architectural firm ODA has been selected to build the new construction and is known for their stacked cube designs as seen at 15 Union Square West downtown (above photo). There will be 380 market rate apartments, 120 affordable units and 70,000 square foot of retail space. New modern architecture has only started to make an appearance in Harlem and a firm with the design integrity of ODA will probably do a stellar job for this abandoned lot. More in the Post:
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Not really looking forward to this one. Eichner stated at the end of the article that there has been no major development in Harlem, ever! I'm not sure I agree with him. 320 feet - 32 stories, not a good look for Harlem. If we continue like this we won't be able to see the sun shine over Harlem and that ain't good. Certainly East Harlem needs some development and I hate to say it, some gentrification. That corner of East 125th & Lexington could use a lift - it looks like the "panic in needle park" over there. But 32 story towers are not the answer.
ReplyDeleteIts about time. Any new development is needed bad. Its time Harlem get into the 21st century. That rundown look just isn't it. The brownstones are beautiful but there's more to Harlem than those.
ReplyDeleteGreg - cities change, that's what they do. In a high density city like ours, sometimes taller buildings are necessary to accommodate growth. This can be done intelligently with good design and planning, which can be encouraged both on the community level and in the higher political realm.
ReplyDeleteTall buildings will go up; it's up to us to try to ensure that they're well designed and responsive to their environment.
@Greg:
ReplyDeleteEast 125th and Lenox is one the only parts of Harlem that you could argue has gotten worse (gained a Supermarket, lost a Firehouse).
It would have helped if the125th Street BID extended past 5th Ave. It's doesn't. But they are working on extending it, I hear.
At this point, nearly anything would be an improvement in that area, even 32 story towers. Or the Corn Exchange building when that's finished.