After checking out the online history on the DOB website, it appears that 54 Hamilton Place was demolished back in 1968 for reported unsafe conditions and a permit was actually filed in the following year for a new building which never came about. From what we can gather, it appears that City College might be the owner of the land based on the paperwork posted in 1969 but it is unclear why the land has not been sold or put to residential use.
HarlemBespoke.com 2018
Probably because it wasn't worth developing until the last few years
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DeleteI'm always surprised by the amount of empty land. There's a lot of it in Midtown South too. Of course the prices in Hamilton Heights have not really been that strong except for last 5 years or so. There's an adage in real estate that a building is a machine to make the land pay. That means the land is too cheap as empty. This is why cities try to adjust taxes to prevent unused buildings and land. I know some on the city council is looking into what to do about vacant storefronts. I wish our Harlem leadership was looking at this too along with promoting local entrepreneurs. Anyway, the issue with vacant property and land is one of taxes ultimately and the real estate industry has too much power and would prefer to keep these kinds of things empty and wait for the surrounding area to get to the point where the can build for maximum profit.
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