Harlem’s 125th Street can be a challenge to drive on, walk down, shop along and even to go to work. Neighborhood leaders, city planners and developers would like to change that.
In December 2003, the city began a major planning study of the thoroughfare, Harlem’s main street and one of the city’s major east-west corridors. With developers interested in the street, also known as Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the time seemed right to plan for the future.
The study, which is near completion, covers an area stretching from river to river. It revolves around one question: What should 125th Street become?
“It’s obviously in need of change,” said City Council member Bill Perkins, whose district includes parts of 125th Street. “There is a lot of congestion. It’s about time that we started to look at it.”
Interest from developers also has some worried that the street will become a canyon of towers. Already, the planned 29-story Harlem Park, which includes a Marriott Courtyard and more than 660,000 square feet, has sparked opposition.
Perkins called it a “monstrosity” that is “totally out of context and should not be used as the standard for what is coming next.” The Planning Commission, he said, should not have approved it. “They sort of jumped the gun on the process.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, during the groundbreaking in February, hailed the $236 million project as proof that “Harlem’s renaissance is moving forward at full-speed.” The building is being developed by 1800 Park Avenue LLC, led by developer Michael Caridi. It is hoping to announce a deal with Brand Jordan, a division of Nike, to open its flagship store, which would anchor 62,000 square feet of new retail space, the New York Times reported in April.
Ground-floor retail rents have surged dramatically along the avenue during the past year, according to the Real Estate Board of New York. Average rents on the corridor shot up 38 percent to $90 a square foot, among the highest retail strip increases in Manhattan. It was the largest increase since the board started tracking the corridor.
The office market remains small but expensive compared to other parts of Manhattan. Suzanne Sunshine, vice president at CB Richard Ellis, said that tenants are lucky to find raw space for $26 a square foot in Harlem. In Midtown South or Downtown that rent could get built-out space, possibly with some months of free rent, Sunshine said. This forces many nonprofits to move downtown instead of Harlem, which is their first choice, she said.
Topics covered by the ongoing study have been extensive, including outdated zoning, congestion and obstructed sidewalks. Suggestions are varied, from replacing roll-down gates to a designated bus lane.
Members of the study’s advisory committee claim existing zoning stifles development. The street has large sections with low-density areas, but patches of high-density development mixed in, creating an uneven character and limited redevelopment options. There are relatively few housing units compared to similar streets in Manhattan, and vacant upper floors.
There has been no recent residential construction along 125th Street, and it’s unclear how much residential demand exists for the busy street, though development throughout the rest of Harlem is booming. Harlem Park’s plans include 100 condominiums. The study points out that the street currently lacks enough housing to lure restaurants and other nighttime uses.
One member of Community Board 9 said it will be difficult to reach a consensus on a vision for 125th Street, though it will likely be a mix of office towers, housing, entertainment and small business.
“There is going to be some changes,” said Jordi Reyes-Montblanc, chairman of Community Board 9, adding he hopes the street’s small businesses remain.
The next advisory committee meeting, on zoning issues, will be held in the fall. A final report is expected in January.