The need for affordable housing is great in the city but so is a sense of history within a community. We walked by PS186 on 145th Street this week and noticed that the former public school building just east of Broadway is still making some major progress towards restoration.
As most know by now, a developer chosen for the site had told the community board that the building cannot be saved after deteriorating for decades but local preservationists successfully helped move things along to a conclusion that everyone was happy with. Government subsidies were secured because of the affordable residential element to the plan and the schoolhouse will now be completely restored to its original glory. History and housing has been proven over and over again to be a viable combination if all parties are willing to put the work into it. The idea of this combination as not being realistic is subterfuge that the public might have believed a decade ago but times are much different now.
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