REVIVE: 52-54 EAST 126TH STREET BROWNSTONES

East 126th between Madison and Park has some great old brownstones but many are in poor condition. This block would have been completely intact if an unstable shell was not demolished a couple of years back because of structural issues and now the neighboring brownstone might find the same fate if renovations do not come about soon.  So why have these buildings remain vacant especially when the market demand is there especially for a handsome Harlem brownstone block?

The churches in the immediate area seem to provide a clue and an old Times article from 2012 explains that Number 52-54  East 126th Street are owned by a former minister who plans to have the building converted to senior housing.  Looking up DOB permits, it does not appear that any renovations plans have ever been submitted for these buildings.  Decades ago, the city gave away brownstones for just around $40K and many of the religious establishment in Harlem were the only ones that could afford that price.  With that said it takes up to around $300-$500K for just a basic renovation and that was not  a financial number a lot of small churches could apparently shell out.  Read more about this East 126th Street block in the Times: LINK