east harlem neighborhood plan

7/24/2019 East Harlem neighborhood plan

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Office of City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-ViveritoManhattan Community Board 11

Community Voices HeardManhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer

FEBRUARY 2016

WWW.EASTHARLEMPLAN.NYC


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FOREWORDEXECUTIVE SUMMARYINTRODUCTIONHISTORY INTRODUCTORY COMMUNITY FORUM

COMMUNITY VISIONING WORKSHOP #1Arts & CultureOpen Space & Recreation

COMMUNITY VISIONING WORKSHOP #2Schools & EducationPre-K, Daycare & Afterschool

COMMUNITY VISIONING WORKSHOP #3NYCHAHousing Preservation

COMMUNITY VISIONING WORKSHOP #4Small Businesses, Workforce & Economic Development

COMMUNITY VISIONING WORKSHOP #5Affordable Housing DevelopmentZoning & Land Use

COMMUNITY VISIONING WORKSHOP #6

Transportation, Environment & EnergySafetyHealth & Seniors

FINAL COMMUNITY FORUM

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTACTION PLANAPPENDICES

CONTENTS


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The changing communities of New York City are frequently shaped by broad economic andsocial trends, which in turn impact local residents and small businesses who often struggle toremain. Forces of gentrication are negatively impacting our city and our communities, oftenleading to the displacement of existing residents, who are unable to reap the benets of thesechanges. Mom-and-pop shops close because they can't afford increases in rent; the emptylot next door is suddenly developed into luxury housing; a school loses funding for an artsprogram; the supermarket that used to serve the community exits and a more expensive oneenters. Communities must advocate for their own needs amidst changing environments. Andwe must do this together.

When East Harlem was announced as a neighborhood for a possible rezoning, with the goal of

creating new affordable housing, we collectively sprang into action. The Office of City CouncilSpeaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Manhattan Community Board 11, Community Voices Heardand the Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer came together to host an informationalforum at El Museo del Barrio, to inform the community about the rezoning proposal andkick off a robust neighborhood planning process. We recognized that through engagementand organization, utilizing a community-driven process, we could develop a plan for theneighborhoods future that would place the needs of the community front and center.

The creation of the East Harlem Neighborhood Plan Steering Committee brought together andempowered local stakeholders to craft a plan that identies broad community development

goals and specic needs, all informed through rich community engagement. For the rst time,a neighborhood has come together on its own initiative, prior to the Mayors announcement ofa neighborhood rezoning, to create a roadmap for future success that prioritizes the needs ofexisting residents, in addition to preparing for anticipated development and growth.

This Neighborhood Plan is the culmination of months of engagement, research, analysis,organizing, and consensus-building. Through the hard work and thoughtfulness of communityresidents and Steering Committee members, in partnership with several organizations andCity agencies, we have created a comprehensive vision for our community, which should directCity policy and resources for years to come. We believe these goals and recommendationswill advance the needs of East Harlem residents, and better prepare our community forthe growth and changes that continue to shape neighborhoods throughout New York City.

Sincerely,

East Harlem Neighborhood Plan Project Partners:Office of City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-ViveritoManhattan Community Board 11Community Voices HeardManhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer

FOREWORD

Foreword

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EAST HARLEM NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN

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Executive Summary

The neighborhood of East Harlem has a rich cultural and socialhistory. Tens of thousands of immigrants have made their rsthomes in the United States in East Harlem. First settled by Jewsand Italians, later the center of New York Citys Puerto Ricancommunity, and in more recent years, home to Mexican, Africanand Chinese immigrants, East Harlem has an astonishinghistory of diversity. For a time in the mid-20th century, EastHarlem was one of the most densely populated areas on theplanet. As its crowded conditions came to the attention ofsocial reformers, the neighborhood became the center of anenormous urban renewal effort that lasted two decades. Thecombination of public housing and other forms of regulatedhousing means that East Harlem is a neighborhood dened byits affordability as well as its diversity.

The increasing income inequality throughout New York Cityis, however, affecting East Harlems continued affordability.

There are approximately 12,000 households in the neighborhoodfacing severe housing needs based on the percentage of incomepaid to rent and mortgages, and parameters for overcrowdingand homelessness. There is also a constricted supply of housingfor families looking to grow and move, but that seek to remainin the neighborhood. Meanwhile, there is an ongoing loss ofaffordable units in East Harlem as rent-stabilization programsexpireon average over the last seven years, 360 homes havecome out of rent stabilization programs each year.

The challenges around affordability extend to small

businesses and non-prots that face rising rents. Thesebusinesses and non-prots underpin the fabric of thecommunity and rising rents threaten the services that longtimeresidents are accustomed to. Just as importantly, there need tobe opportunities to invest in people, including integrated earlyeducation programs and quality public schooling through post-secondary education and workforce development programs.We must ensure the implementation of a human capitaldevelopment program that gives residents opportunities toinvest in themselves. Any rezoning should support workforcetraining and infrastructure improvements that reinforce thecommunity, such as new and improved facilities and open space,safer streets, better transit and a more culturally vibrantneighborhood.

When the City announced that East Harlem was to be one ofthe rst neighborhoods to be rezoned as part of Mayor Bill deBlasios Housing Plan to construct and preserve 200,000 units ofaffordable housing by 2025, it was clear to City Council SpeakerMelissa Mark-Viverito, community organizations and residentsthat East Harlem needed a local plana plan rooted in local

If nothing is done

282 projected

affordable housingunits will be lost per year over the next

15 years

EXECUTIVESUMMARY

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EnergyIndependence &

Resiliency

PolicingAlternatives

Seniors Agingin Place

Support forLocal Artists

YouthEmpowerment

Air Quality

ProtectingCultural Heritage

QualityEmployment

Opportunities

Protection ofSmall Businesses

Quality &Sufficient Public

Open Space

Healthy FoodNYCHA Repairs &

Security

Affordable Goods& Services

concerns and local ideas and initiativesbefore the City set outan approach to rezoning.

Speaker Mark-Viverito, based on her commitment toparticipatory governance and inclusive planning, convened asteering committee of local stakeholders to establish a processfor a holistic community-based plan. Working with the SpeakersOffice, project partners Manhattan Community Board 11,Community Voices Heard and Manhattan Borough PresidentGale A. Brewer took a leading role in fostering this process as weset out to accomplish the following goals:

Collect and organize community concerns and ideas inorder to inuence City agencies planning processes andrezoning efforts

Create a human capital development plan that focuses onthe advancement of East Harlem residents

Develop approaches to preserve existing affordable andpublic housing and generate new, permanently affordablehousing

Develop new tools for preservation of culture, economy andneighborhood character

Create a needs assessment that takes into account EastHarlems current and future community

Develop implementable recommendations that reectcommunity input

Provide a model for other communities and neighborhood

planning efforts Build a base of engaged residents ready to advocatecollectively for community needs

Through the guidance of a Steering Committee composed ofrepresentatives from community organizations, the EastHarlem Neighborhood Plan has evolved through a series ofeight large public meetings, which have averaged almost 180people per session, approximately 40 meetings to develop theobjectives and recommendations around the 12 key themes,several informal meetings to gather more feedback andto provide more information on the ideas being discussed,community-based surveys and online comments. The planningprocess has also included meetings with agencies to test andgather feedback on the objectives and recommendations.

The East Harlem Neighborhood Plan (EHNP) is structured inthe following way:

ADDITIONALCONCERNS

IDENTIFIED BYNEIGHBORHOOD

RESIDENTS


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Executive Summary

An Introduction to the East Harlem Neighborhood Plan; A historical overview of the East Harlem community; Chapters based around the Community Visioning

Workshops, with sections detailing the strengths,challenges, and key objectives and recommendations tiedto the 12 key themes;

An Action Plan dening the approach to bringing aboutimplementation of the objectives and recommendationsand holding the City accountable to them;

A glossary of terms and acronyms used in this report; and Appendices containing the East Harlem Neighborhood

Plan Process Guide, additional supporting research,outlines and notes from the community workshops, andinformation and notes from various feedback sessions.

The following page highlights the priority objectives identied

by East Harlem community members from among the total of61 objectives developed by the 12 EHNP subgroups. Prioritieswere identied using a combination of online survey responsesand voting via tokens at the Final Community Forum on January27, 2016. The top two most voted objectives were selected persubgroup. These broadly suggest the critical places to focusattention on implementation, but not at the expense of acomprehensive understanding of how the 61 objectives and 232recommendations presented in this report interrelate and areultimately effective together.

As a result, following through on the myriad of recommen-dations in this Plan will require continued organization andinput from within the East Harlem community as well as a needfor responsiveness to this Plan on the part of the City. In manyrespects, the East Harlem Neighborhood Plan offers a new par-adigm in neighborhood planning. Spurred on by both the Citysdecision to rezone East Harlem and the dramatic changes alreadyunderway, this Plan provides both an ambitious and realistic pathforward for City agencies to act on. Since the objectives and

recommendations are integrated, this Plan urges a similarlyholistic response from the City.

There is a useful precedent to explore. Following SuperstormSandy, the City responded by establishing the Mayor's Office ofRecovery and Resiliency to coordinate interagency efforts toplan for the protection of New York City neighborhoods. Whilethe impetus may be different than a disaster recovery effort,given the many challenges in East Harlem and impending change,the East Harlem Neighborhood Plan demands a coordinatedimplementation process that brings together local and City efforts.


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PRIORITY OBJECTIVE

Open Space &Recreation

Preserve the unique cultural history of East Harlem.

Support local artists and arts and culture organizations.

Ensure public open space meets the needs of East Harlemresidents now and in the future.

Leverage public site development to create sufficient parkspace for East Harlem residents now and in the future.

Align specialized programs and services with the needs ofEast Harlem schools, and increase funding to support them.

Create more diverse pathways to careers and college.

Ensure that programming is high quality, consistent, andwell-funded.

Improve existing pre-K, daycare and afterschool facilities,and ensure that quality spaces are created within newbuildings.

Ensure efficient, high quality repairs on NYCHAdevelopments.

Improve safety and security on NYCHA developments.

Arts & Culture

Schools &Education

Pre-K, Daycare &Afterschool

NYCHA

The priorities highlighted here were identied using acombination of online survey responses and voting viatokens at the Final Community Forum on January 27, 2016.The top two most voted Objectives were selected persubgroup.

The online survey was developed by D21, an online pollingplatform. The objectives poll had 60 respondents, 47 ofwhom identied as residents of East Harlem, and 16 ofwhom identied themselves as working in East Harlem. Themajority of residents were from zipcodes 10035 and 10029.

Community members that attended the Final CommunityForum were given a set of 15 tokens when they signed intothe event. The tokens were used at subgroup stationsfor participants to identify their top 15 objectives. Thetokens were color-coded by type of attendeeResident,Worker, or Visitor. Each subgroup station had numbered jars for each objective. Participants were able to registertheir priority objectives by putting their tokens in thecorresponding jar. A total of 2,792 tokens were cast at theevent. 66% of the tokens came from residents, and 27%came from those who work in East Harlem.


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Why Now?East Harlem is one of the rst fourneighborhoods prioritized for rezoning, aspart of Mayor de Blasios Housing Plan toconstruct and preserve 200,000 units ofaffordable housing by 2025.

Rezoning a neighborhood, especiallyto create more housing, presents

opportunities as well as major challenges.In response to existing concerns EastHarlem residents have about changesin the neighborhood and how a potentialrezoning could accelerate these changes,the Plan's Project Partners, New York CityCouncil Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito,along with Manhattan Community Board 11,Community Voices Heard, and ManhattanBorough President Gale A. Brewer, initiated

a community-based planning process.

The East Harlem Neighborhood Plan setsa unique precedent for community inputin rezonings. In East Harlem, community-dened needs and solutions have resultedin a neighborhood plan that precedes theconventional process of land use changesin New York City. Usually, public input islimited, narrow in scope, and comes aftera plan has already been developed bygovernment agencies. In contrast, the EastHarlem Neighborhood Plan seeks to createa more holistic process based oncommunity-dened needs prior to theCitys rezoning study. This neighborhoodplan will inform the Citys zoning proposaland leverage resources to achieve broaderneighborhood planning goals.

Four initial neighborhoods prioritized for rezoningas part of the H ousing New York plan.

INTRODUCTION

EASTHARLEM

JEROME AVE,BRONX

WEST FLUSHING,QUEENS

EAST NEW YORK,BROOKLYN


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Introduction

TRADITIONAL PROCESS FOR REZONINGS

CREATING A NEW PROCESS

GoalsIn order to provide the public and City withpriority objectives and recommendationsthat represent the community, the ProjectPartners established a set of goals for theNeighborhood Plan:

1. Collect and organize communityconcerns and ideas in order toinuence City agencies planningprocesses and rezoning efforts.

2. Create a human capitaldevelopment plan that focuses onthe advancement of East Harlemresidents.

3. Develop approaches to preserveexisting affordable and publichousing and generate new,permanently affordable housing.

4. Develop new tools for preservation ofculture, economy and neighborhoodcharacter.

5. Create a needs assessment thattakes into account East Harlemscurrent and future community.

6. Develop implementablerecommendations that reectcommunity input.

7. Provide a model for othercommunities and neighborhoodplanning efforts.

8. Build a base of engaged residentsready to advocate collectively forcommunity needs.

REGULATEDZONING IDEAS

LimitedPublic Input

NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN

CommunityDenedNeeds

CommunityDened

Solutions

Land UseApplication

Land UseApplication

EnvironmentalReview

EnvironmentalReview

UniformLand

Use Review

UniformLand

Use Review

CommunityBoard Vote

CommunityBoard Vote

CityPlanning

CommissionVote

CityPlanningCommission

Vote

BoroughPresident

Vote

BoroughPresidentVote

CityCouncil

CityCouncil


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SUBGROUP LEADS

COMMUNITY VISIONINGWORKSHOPS

May 20400 participants

June 4125 Participants

July 185 Participants

July 29150 Participants

September 10

120 Participants

October 22175 Participants

November 2183 Participants

January 27

350 Participants

IntroductoryCommunity Forum

Arts & CultureOpen Space & Recreation

Schools & Education /Pre-K, Daycare &

Afterschool

NYCHA /Housing Preservation

Small Businesses,

Workforce &Economic Development

Affordable HousingDevelopment /

Zoning & Land Use

Transportation,Environment & Energy /

Safety / Health & Seniors

Final

Community Forum

Arts & CultureOpen Space & Recreation

Schools & EducationPre-K, Daycare & Afterschool

NYCHASmall Businesses, Workforce &

Economic DevelopmentAffordable Housing Development

Zoning & Land UseTransportation, Environment &

EnergySafety

Health & Seniors

El Museo del BarrioNew York Restoration ProjectRenaissance Charter High School for InnovationHarlem RBI

Johnson Houses Tenant AssociationUnion Settlement Association

Lott Community Development CorporationCIVITASWE ACT for Environmental Justice

Office of City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-ViveritoNew York Academy of Medicine

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Introduction

The Neighborhood Plan aims to expressvalues and priorities as well as concreterecommendations. It balances communityinput with statistical background informationand targets different ideas and conceptsat particular entities and agencies with theability and resources to fulll them.

The plan includes a combination of short-and long-term programs, capital projects andpolicies that preserve the cultural diversity ofEast Harlem and support the ability for long-term residents to stay in the neighborhoodand enjoy the benets of neighborhoodchange.

The PlanningProcessThe Neighborhood Plan considers anticipatedfuture growth in East Harlem and has utilizeda broad community development frameworkto address the development of humancapital and enhancements to quality of life.

Recommendations were developed throughthe following process:

A. Input from community visioningworkshops formed the basis of therecommendations

The planning process was underpinned by alarge public kick-off event, six topic-speciccommunity visioning workshops, and onelarge nal community forum. In addition,Project Partners and Facilitators conductedvaried informal engagement throughout theplanning process. The six community visioningworkshops were made public to all residentsof East Harlem, and each one focused on adifferent topic or set of topics. The workshopswere an opportunity for members of thecommunity to share ideas, needs, dreams and

concerns about East Harlem. Input from theworkshops directly informed the work of thetopic subgroup.

B. Topic subgroups developedobjectives and recommendations

The topic subgroups were comprised ofneighborhood leaders, local organizations, Cityagencies, and city-wide advocacy and technicalassistance groups. Subgroups were responsiblefor integrating the ndings of the communityvisioning workshops into a framework fordeveloping objectives and recommendations.Because subgroup members were eitherbased in East Harlem or do valuable work in

the neighborhood, they brought meaningfulexpertise, perspective and shared resourcesto this process. Each subgroup was headed byan East Harlem Neighborhood Plan SteeringCommittee member.

The draft objectives and recommendationssubject for approval were produced andreviewed following at least three subgroupmeetings, a public visioning session, a meeting

with relevant agencies and the deliberation ofthe subgroup leads.

C. The Steering Committee approvedobjectives and recommendations

The draft objectives and recommendationswere presented to the Steering Committeefor formal approval in the weeks following thecommunity visioning workshops and subgroupmeetings. The Steering Committee voted toapprove proposed objectives and recommen-dations put forward by each subgroup.

16 out of the 21 Steering Committee memberswere required to approve a recommendationfor it to move forward, and opposing memberswere allowed to note their objections to arecommendation in the report text.


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AdditionalEngagementIn addition to public visioning sessions andinformal engagement sessions, CommunityVoices Heard collected over 500 surveysbetween June and December 2015 fromresidents at visioning sessions, online, throughdoor-to-door outreach, canvassing, and atvarious community spaces. Survey resultscan be found in the appendix of this report.

Throughout December 2015 and January 2016,CB11 hosted eight public presentations where

subgroup recommendations were presentedat corresponding CB11 subcommittees. Thesubcommittee chairs and members, as well asthe general public, were given an opportunityto provide feedback. Subgroup leads haveincorporated some of this feedback into theircorresponding chapters. The appendix alsoincludes a full list of recorded comments fromthe CB11 sessions.

In January 2016, the Project Partnerscollaborated with D21 (a digital voting platform)to create thirteen online polls, where thepublic was able to prioritize from among the61 objectives and 232 recommendations putforward by the EHNP subgroups. There was alimited response rate on the subtopic-specicpolls. The objectives poll had just over 60respondents. A summary of that data is locatedin the appendix of this report. CommunityVoices Heard opened their office to thecommunity for two evenings before the nalcommunity forum, giving the public anothermethod of engaging with the recommendations.CVH publicized this through their network, anddistributed 8,000 postcards advertising theiropen house.

To further inform residents about the plan, theManhattan Borough President's Office (MBPO)held a session with ve Faith Based Leaderson October 27. On November 2, DREAM CharterSchool held a workshop for 7th and 8th graders,which was attended by 142 students and 7parents/guardians. Project Partners solicitedcommunity ideas at their offices and attendedstreet fairs to spread the word about theplanning process.

Finally, all relevant presentations, reports,research, announcements and photographsrelated to the EHNP were posted to www.EastHarlemPlan.nyc. The website will remainlive and continue to act as a resource forthe community during and after the City-ledrezoning.

The EHNP process was conducted in a relativelycompressed time period. The Steering

Committee was given the opportunity toproduce a community-driven plan in advanceof DCP's study of the neighborhood. Along withthis opportunity came the responsibility to betimely and responsive. As a result, a processthat could have taken years was condensed toapproximately 10 months.

While engagement was more robust thanmost similar processes, additional timeand resources could have allowed evengreater reach. Also, while all objectives andrecommendations were translated to Spanish,and Spanish translation was available at allof the eight public meetings, more time andresources could have allowed more effectivereach to Mandarin-speakers and monolingualSpanish speakers in the community.


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Ray TiradoEast Harlem Resident

This is a community thats been aroundfor a long time. I dont wanna move fromhere. I love it, Ive lived here all my life, andhopefully I will retire in this communityhere and be a voice in my community.

Pearl BarkleyEast Harlem Resident

The neighborhood has gone through a lotin the past 50 years and now the ght is,

if you want to come back in and develop, you have to do it for the people in thecommunity rst.

Beverly PabonEast Harlem Resident

We want to stay here, and we needaffordable housing and small businessto stay here.

Keith MasseyEast Harlem Resident &Community Board 11 Board Member

A lot of us earn only under, maybe, thirtythousand dollars, so it's [the currentMandatory Inclusionary Housing proposal]not for us.

Introduction

East Harlem In Conversation

Photos courtesy of Meerkat Media Cooperative


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HISTORYEast Harlem has historically been an important home forimmigrants to New York City, with a rich cultural heritage andan enduring legacy of social justice activity. It has also beendened as a place undergoing constant change, known for itsdynamic shifts in technologies, politics and physical fabricover the years. The creation of the elevated lines in the late19th century, the rampant development of tenement housingthat extended into the early decades of the 20th century andthe urban renewal of the mid-20th century have all playedcritical roles in the transformation of the neighborhood. Asthe City begins to consider rezoning parts of East Harlem, itis important for the current community to have a voice in any

upcoming change and to create mechanisms that allow for thecontinuity of what makes the neighborhood unique.

At the end of the 19th century, East Harlem was the bestserved neighborhood by inexpensive transportation inManhattan. The extension of Third Avenue through northernManhattan, the railroad along Fourth Avenue (later ParkAvenue) and the Second Avenue Elevated (El) all contributedto this distinction. Around this time, Italian immigrants weremigrating to the neighborhood from the overpopulated Lower

East Side, replacing Irishand German communities.Various Jewish educationalinstitutions also thrived,some up through the 1950s.

The new transportationconnections sparked realestate speculation andunbridled construction thatwould house working-classfamilies for years to come.Over forty years, developersbuilt approximately 65,000apartments. Waves ofimmigrant communitiesdisplaced earlier settlers.Italian immigrants residedprimarily east of ThirdAvenue and became the1


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History

largest such community in thecountry. Segments of East Harlemwere deemed Italian Harlem and

Jewish Harlem.

East 116th Street evolved into adense commercial corridor servingthe neighborhoods multi-ethnicpopulations. Under the ParkAvenue viaduct between 111th and116th Streets, pushcart vendorscongregated to sell goods. In 1936,Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia legitimizedthe activity and helped to createLa Marqueta. It was only afterWorld War II that East Harlem got

the nickname Spanish Harlem. Thecontinued arrival of newcomers from Puerto Rico, Cuba, theDominican Republic, Panama, Mexico, and many other LatinAmerican countries made El Barrio the predominant Spanish-speaking community in the United States outside of PuertoRico. These communities and a growing African-Americanpopulation replaced many Italians and Eastern Europeans,many of whom had begun to move out to suburban areas. Itsresidents included some of New Yorks most famous artistsand musicians such as Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Julia de

Burgos, and Langston Hughes.

By the middle of the 20th century, East Harlem boasted210,000 residents, almost twice todays population. The raciallysegregating practice of redlining led to deterioration ofhousing stock. These conditions made it a primary target forfederal slum clearance and a model area for urban renewal.In the 1940s and 1950s, NYCHA demolished much of the olderhousing stock and replaced it with modern high-rise housingprojects that complied with federal housing standards. Theconstruction of these high rises amidst surrounding openspace accelerated in the years after World War II, replacinglarge tracts of tenements, brownstones, community spacesand small businesses. By 1965, a quarter of East Harlemsresidents were estimated to be living in public housingdevelopments. The neighborhood was one of the hardesthit areas in the 1960s and 1970s as New York City struggledwith decits, race riots, urban ight, gang warfare, drugabuse, crime and poverty. Tenements were crowded, poorlymaintained and frequent targets for arson.

1 Puerto Rican Day Celebration, 1968 byJohn Albok

Courtesy El Museo del Barrio2 Children in playground near elevated train

tracks, Park Avenue, 1946 by John Albok Courtesy El Museo del Barrio

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History

3 Labor Day Parade, 1968 by John Albok Courtesy El Museo del Barrio4 Spanish Harlem apartment buildings, 1978

by John Albok Courtesy El Museo del Barrio5 Shop display in Mexico Lindo on 116th St

and 2nd Ave Kate Milford 20166 Outside of East Harlem Cafe on 104th St

and Lexington Ave Kate Milford 2016

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Sources:New Directions: A 197-A Plan for Manhattan

Community Distr ict 11 (revised 1999) http://www.east-harlem.com/cb11_197A_history.htm

El Museo del Barrio Timeline http://www.elmuseo.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Timeline.pdf

http://www.nycteachingfellows.org/mypersonalinfo/downloads/M.HarlemHistory.pdf

http://www.arch.columbia.edu/ les/gsapp/imceshared/East_Harlem_Studio_2011.pdf

Gill, Jonathan. Harlem: The Four Hundred YearHistory from Dutch Village to Capital of BlackAmerica. New York: Grove, 2011. Print.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/25/nyregion/chinese-moving-to-east-harlem-some-from-chinatown.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Harlem#Decline


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EAST HARLEM NEIGHBORHOOD PLANEAST HARLEM NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN

I N T R O D U C T O R Y

C O M M U NI T Y

F O R U M

May 20th, 20156:30-8:30pm

at El Museo del Barrio

400 participants

Community

Education ForumKick-off Event

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The Community Education Forum wasthe kick-off event that served to informresidents about Housing New York, Mayor deBlasio administration's plan to preserve anddevelop 200,000 units of affordable housingover the next ten years and the impetusbehind the proposed East Harlem rezoning.Participants also tackled rezoninghow arezoning typically works and how the EastHarlem neighborhood planning process wasdeveloped to create a community-basedrezoning plan uniquely dened by the needs,desires and priorities of the East Harlemcommunity. Participants learned aboutNeighborhood Planning & Rezoning Basics.Neighborhood residents and CommunityVoices Heard (CVH) members performed

Visioning Session Summary

a skit that modeled different perspectiveswithin a planning process, highlightingopportunities and tensions in a conversationabout neighborhood change. Audiencemembers commented on their passions,dreams and concerns during a question andanswer session. And, nally, Project Partnersand Steering Committee members gave anoverview of the various subgroup topics andnext steps for each.

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Arts & Culture

/Open Space& Recreation

C O M M U NI T Y

VI SI O NI N G W O RK S H O P

# 1June 4th, 20156:308:30pm

at Hunter CollegeSilberman School ofSocial Work

125 Participants

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Arts & Culture

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1 Salsa dancing at La Marqueta John McCarten / New York City Council

2 Nicholasa Mohr mural by El Mac and Cero,111th St and Lexington Ave (MonumentArt Festival) William Alatriste/New York City Council

3 Spanish Harlem: The Spell of Music, John Albok1970 or 1978, Courtesy El Museo del Barrio

4 Mural by Manny Vega on 106th St, east of Lexington Ave Kate Milford 2016

5 Women with paintings in an outdoor exhibit by John Albok,Courtesy El Museo del Barrio

6 Museum of the City of New York Kate Milford 2016

East Harlem, well-known for itscontributions to music, such as salsa,Latin jazz, mambo and hip-hop, and

its iconic murals, is full of arts andcultural institutions that providestability and longevity to the culturalecosystem of the neighborhood. Theseorganizations operate at many differentscales and meet many differentneeds. Another resource is the stockof the architecturally and culturallysignicant buildings that reect theneighborhoods unique history andare important to residents.


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51

52 53

19 20 21

2 2

23

24 25

26

27

28

29

30

2

5

7

8

9

6

3

32

MURALS & MOSAICS

LANDMARKED DISTRICT

LANDMARKED PROPERTIES

MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

1 El Museo del Barrio2 Islamic Cultural Center3 Keep Rising to the Top4 La Casa de la Herencia Cultural

Puertorriquena5 Museum of the City of New York6 The Poets Den Gallery and Theatre7 Casa Frela Gallery8 MediaNoche Gallery9 The Taller Boricua

Church of All SaintsParish House and School17 East 128th Street HouseSt. Andrews ChurchLangston Hughes HouseMount Morris Bank BuildingFire Hook & Ladder Company No. 14NY Public Library 125th St. BranchWatch TowerThe Harlem Courthouse

NY Public Library Aguilar BranchSt. Cecilias ConventSt. Cecilias ChurchPublic School 72 (now Julia de BurgosLatino Cultural Center)28th Police Precinct Station HouseFire Engine Company No. 53Museum of the City of New YorkSt. Nicholas Russian Orthodox CathedralLucy D. Dahlgren HouseManhattan Country School

333435363738394041424344454647

484950515253

11 Christophers (former Latin10 National Black Theatre

music dance club)12 Webber Meat Market13 Lucky Corner14 Casa Latina Music Store15 Patsys Pizzeria and Restaurant16 Former PS 85

Former Cosmo Theater1718 Italian Savings Bank19 Democratic Club of 16th Assembly Dist.

Hudson Valley National Bank20Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

22 Ben Franklin HS21

2324

PS 102

25 Raos Restaurant26 La Marqueta27 Gratti Hall of Fame28 First Spanish Methodist Church29 Eagle Theatre (Closed)30 PS 10931 Harlems Colonial African

Burial Ground Sacred Site32 Park Palace (former Latin

music dance club)

CULTURAL SITES

YOUNG LORDS ACTIVISM SITES


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27

While the artistic and cultural resources of the neighborhood are considerable, there arechallenges for the neighborhood to retain them as it grows and changes. However, preservingthese assets in East Harlem is a priority for the community.

Local artists and arts and culture organizations struggle to identify suffi cientnancial resources and support services. These groups lack an overarchingcoalition that could advocate for space, sources of funding, and other forms ofsupport. Without these resources, it is diffi cult to sustain the arts and culturalnetwork.

Artists and arts organizations struggle to nd affordable places to live, createand display their work. As development pressures rise, spaces that werepreviously affordable to arts and cultural activities are increasingly out of reach.Without focused strategies to support artists and cultural activities, theseaffordability challenges will only intensify.

Many buildings in the neighborhood that capture the unique historical andcultural signicance of East Harlem are threatened by new development andphysical change. Residents risk losing representations of their heritage as theneighborhood gentries. As changes to the built environment occur, it will beimportant to pursue strategies that help to reinforce the character of thecommunity.

Both within the community and city-wide, there is a lack of familiarity with thecultural resources and artistic production taking place in East Harlem. Withoutsuch an understanding, the historic and cultural resources of the neighborhood

are more vulnerable to threats, and opportunities to attract visitors to theneighborhood may be lost.

To protect and promote the rich arts and cultural resources of East Harlem, the neighborhoodplan has six objectives (see the following page).

Arts & Culture

Museums & Galleries:

A partial list of key existing museumsand galleries in East Harlem.

Cultural Sites:A combination of architecturally,socially and/or historically signi cantbuildings in East Harlem. Theselocations are not formally landmarked,but were raised as valuable to thecultural fabric of the neighborhoodduring outreach and research. Someof these locations were identi edusing Columbia University's GraduateSchool of Architecture, Planning andPreservation Historic PreservationStudio II: Spring 2011 report.

Young Lords Activ ism Sites:

The Young Lordsa Puerto Ricannationalist group with a focus on social just icepromote d neighborhoodempowerment as part of wider nationalstruggles for civil rights. Th is mapcalls out various s ites where the YoungLords organized, ranging from theirheadquarters, to the locations oftheir Garbage Offensive (where theyaccumulated garbage at the centerof Second and Third Avenue s to getthe attention of the Department ofSanitation), to their takeover of theFirst Spanish Methodist Church ofEast Harlem (later renamed by the Young Lords as The Peoples Churc h),to the rerouting of a TB-testing truck.

Landmarked District &Landmarked Properties:All formal landmarked districts andproperties in East Harle m as perthe NYC Landmarks PreservationCommission (LPC).

Murals & Mosaics:As an historically and culturallysigni cant neighborhood, East Harlemis home to a rich collection of publicart and murals, re ections of thrivingartistic talent, cultural investment andthe true and diverse spirit of El Barrio.The mural locations on this map arenot comprehensive. You can visit www.visitelbarrio.com/arts-culture/public-art-murals for more information.


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OBJECTIVES &RECOMMENDATIONS

1.Ensure that nancial

resources and supportservices are available

to sustain local arts and

culture organizationsand local artists.1.1

Work closely with the Department of CulturalAffairs (DCLA) to create a central artsadvocacy entity to serve as a resource forEast Harlem arts and culture organizationsand individuals. This entity will serve as anarts and culture coalition, and should sharecommon goals and objectives. Include adiversity of coalition partners including LocalDevelopment Corporations, local businessleadership and non-arts oriented communityinstitutions and organizations.

1.2Study the feasibility of and funding needs toexpand the use of existing underutilized andnon-traditional spaces in East Harlem forcommunity arts and cultural programs.

Reach out to organizations where this un-derutilized space exists, i.e. Heckscher Theaterat El Museo, Theater at Poets Den, Red RoofTheater. Discuss providing these spaces todancers and artists for a nominal fee when notin use.

2.Create affordable

artist housing, as well asnew spaces for

community organizations

and programming.*2.1

Give rst priority usage of artists spaces innewly developed and existing spaces to localartists living within or who have a history ofworking within CB11.

2.2Create a new dance hall and movie theater.Engage with theater companies that may beinterested in opening a new location in EastHarlem.

* A joint recommendation for increasingaffordable artist live/work spaces in EastHarlem is located in the Affordable HousingDevelopment chapter, Recommendation 2.4.

3.Expand opportunities

for local artists to producecommissioned work inEast Harlem.

3.1Advocate for the Percent for Art program inprivate projects.

3.2Advocate for more use of local artists in thePercent for Art program.

Related to precedent on page 30


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4.Preserve the unique cultural

history of East Harlemby harnessing historic

landmarks and representingEl Barrios narrative

through the public realm.4.1

Establish a process to identify culturally signif-icant structures in East Harlem and a methodto preserve and celebrate them. Establish alandmarking process that does not impede thedevelopment of affordable housing. Some keylocations are identied on the map on page 26

4.2Develop a unied signage and multimediaprogram for East Harlem, branding it as a keydestination in the city. Establish a culturalwaynding walk or El Barrio hall of fame thatpays homage to the past and present artisticand historic inuences of the neighborhood.

5.Create greater awarenessboth internally and externally

of the cultural productioncurrently taking place in all

of East Harlem.5.1

Host a comprehensive community eventscalendar that advertises all arts and culturalprogramming in East Harlem. Utilize anoutdoor kiosk bulletin board to promoteprogramming and events.

5.2Work more closely with the followingorganizations and initiatives to streamlinepromotion of East Harlem arts and culturalprograms: East Harlem Community Alliance,Visit El Barrio, NYC & Co.

ARTS

CULTU

6.Develop arts programming

that meets the needsof the local community while

also attracting visitorsto East Harlem.

6.1Create an East Harlem Theater District foroff-Broadway performances.

6.2Continue to expand East Harlem arts andculture into existing programming at NYCParks, DOE, NYCHA, small businesses and other

cultural institutions (exlm screenings,open mics, music festivals, poetry readings).

6.3Identify resources to further support increasedarts and cultural programming at the LaMarqueta site and leverage East Harlem culturalfestivals and large events to increase tourism(ex. ethnic pride events, food festivals and fairs,coordinated late/free nights at local museums,establishment of an East Harlem Latin JazzFestival connected to programming at theNational Jazz Museum in Harlem).


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ARTS

CULTU

PRECEDENTS

South BronxCultural Corridor

In 2001 the Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA)designated a mile-long strip of the GrandConcourse as an area with a high concentra-tion of cultural activity and branded it theSouth Bronx Cultural Corridor. It has beendubbed the Gateway to the New Bronx anddemonstrates arts-based economic devel-opment in the South Bronx. BCAs goals forthe corridor are to attract visitors, increasecommercial activity and engage the communityin a variety of South Bronx cultural events.

This preceden t relates to objectives 4, 5 and 6Source: http://www.bronxarts.org/southbronxculturalcorridor.asp

Naturally Occurring CulturalDistricts - New York

Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts - NewYork (NOCD-NY) emerged from a series ofroundtable conversations between 2010and 2011, when artists, activists, creativemanufacturers, non-prot groups andpolicy-makers convened to discuss the rolethat arts and culture play in strengtheningNew York City communities. By late summer2011, NOCD-NY grew into a working alliance,generating a sustained commitment and city-wide platform for revitalizing New York Cityfrom the neighborhood up. It is tasked withadvocating for policies, promoting the value oflocal practice, collaborating on programs andcompiling research on the work of the culturalcommunity.

This precedent relates to Recommendation 1.1

Source: http://nocdny.org

T h e

H i l l b y D a n

i e l

C u l

t u r a

l a c t

i v a t

i o n

i n t h e

M o d e s

t o " T i n " F l o r e s

G a r

d e n , p a r t o f

E l B a r r i o

W e e

k p r o g r a m m i n g


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31

Arts & Culture

7 Yarn bombing public art project by Naomi/RandomActs of Generosity, with Hope Community Inc.on 104th St in background Kate Milford, 2016

8 Casa Latina Music Shop Kate Milford, 20169 Adrian Roman aka Viajeros Libre Mural

(MonumentArt Festival) Kate Milford, 2016

7

8

9


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33

The open space geography of EastHarlem is unique among many New YorkCity neighborhoods. While the edges ofthe neighborhood are anked by two

important city-wide parks, CentralPark and Randalls Island, and twoneighborhood parks, Marcus GarveyPark and Thomas Jefferson Park, thecenter of East Harlem is dotted withplaygrounds and community gardensthat reect the neighborhoods historyand cultural heritage. East Harlem alsohas access to an active waterfrontwith the potential to become a world-class destination for local residentsand the city at large. The renovationand maintenance of open space inEast Harlem is supported by the NYCDepartment of Parks & Recreation,private conservancies, land trusts,friends of groups, non-prots andother City agencies.

Open Space & Recreation

3

4

5

1 East River Esplanade Kate Milford 20162 Thomas Jefferson Park Kate Milford 20163 103rd Street Community Garden John McCarten

/ New York City Council4 El Barrios Artspace PS109 Kate Milford 20165 National Night Out East Harlem John McCarten /

New York City Council


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34


Fair

ESPLANADE CONDITION

Satisfactory

Serious

No Condition Rating

No Esplanade Exists

Dept of Parks & RecPublic Open Spaces

Land and Garden Trust

Privately-ownedOpen Space

City-owned Open Space

DOE Playgrounds

Community Gardens

NYCHA Developments

EXISTING OPEN SPACE

Condition ratings fromOMB-DPR Marine Report,June 2013

N e v A h t 5

e v

A h t 5

e v

A h t 5

e v

A n o t g n i x e

L

e v

A k r a

P

e v

A n o s i

d a

M

e v A

d r 3

e v A

d n

2

e v A t s 1

e v

A n o t g n i x e

L

e v

A k r a

P

e v

A n o s i

d a

M

e v

A d r 3

e v

A d n

2

e v

A t s 1

MARCUSGARVEY

PARK

RANDALLSISLAND

E 130th Sth St

h St

h St E 125th St

E 120th St

E 110th Stk North

E 106th St

F D R D

r

E 96th St

E 116th St

h St

h St

H a r l e m R i v e r

D r i v e

d St

NTRALPARK

THOMASJEFFERSON

PARK

P l e a s a n t

A v e

TRIBOROPLAZA

HARLEMRIVER PARK


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35

Despite these considerable open space assets, there are also challenges, which will beexacerbated as the neighborhood continues to grow. Recognizing and responding to thesechallenges will improve the quality of life for current and future residents. The ndings fromthe community visioning workshop and open space subgroup meetings focused on thefollowing challenges:

On a basic level, the amount of open space in East Harlem is insuffi cient. WhileNew York City has a standard of 1.5 acres of open space per 1,000 residents, NewYorkers for Parks has set a higher goal of 2.5 and has found that there are 2.9acres of open space per 1,000 residents city-wide. Without Randalls Island orCentral Park, East Harlem falls well below this benchmark with only 0.77 acres ofopen space per 1,000 residents. If the northeast corner of Central Park is included,the number climbs to 1.45 acres per 1,000 residents.

Numerous community gardens are threatened and under-resourced, and in somecases are not open or programmed for wider public use. Loss of these open spaces

is a threat to the community.

With so much of the open space located at the neighborhoods edges, it is criticalto overcome the physical and psychological barriers to using these parks. In thecase of Randalls Island, Harlem River Park and the waterfront esplanade, thereis a need to create better access to recreational spaces. Programs and improvedlighting can also make Central Park feel more connected to East Harlem residents.

East Harlem is vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events, withinundation during Superstorm Sandy affecting many residents. Open space design

needs to incorporate resiliency while also ensuring that public access is improved,not curtailed by storm surge protections.

Many parks in East Harlem need better maintenance and staffi ng. In thecommunity visioning workshop, many open spaces were identied as assets withthe caveat that they needed better maintenance in order to maximize their valueand meet the needs of residents.

Open Space & Recreation


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1.Ensure public open space

meets the needs of existingresidents and keeps pace with

an increasing population.1.1

Strategically preserve and create open spacethat strives for 2.5 acres/1,000 residents forexisting and future East Harlem residents.

1.2*As density increases, ensure that open spaceis created with new developments as part of azoning special district. Work with developersto create a Community Benets Agreement(CBA) that funds a program to train and hireEast Harlem residents for maintenance andstewardship of these open spaces.

*This recommendation relates to the GardenDistrict proposal in Recommendation 3.5 in theZoning & Land Use chapter.

1.3Work constructively with City agencies andprivate land managers including conser-vancies, land trusts, friends of groups, andnon-prots to ensure open space maintenanceand staffing in parks and community gardensis proportional to the number of people usingthe space, especially during peak season.Increase staffing during the summer season.

1.4Conduct a needs assessment for comfortstations, recreation centers, and ballelds inEast Harlem.

1.5Build a comfort station at Harlem River Park.

Related to precedent on pages 38-39

2.Leverage City-owned sites and

public affordable housingdevelopment resources to

create enough park space to

accommodate existing andfuture East Harlem residents.2.1

Seek opportunities on City-owned land for openspace creation. With increased density comesthe likelihood that land values will rise, leavingagencies unable to afford private property fornew parkland.

2.2Conduct a feasibility study of the potential for

ferry access along entire East River waterfront,with Pier 107 as a potential access point.

2.3Restore Pier 107 as a public open space.

2.4Conduct a study of where streetends can bedeveloped to add more open space to the EastHarlem community. Areas of consideration caninclude 117th, 118th and 119th Streets and the smallstreets around Thomas Jefferson Park. Pilot theSummerStreets program at these locations totest the street closure in a temporary way.

2.5Open more school playgrounds during off-hoursfor community recreation, and explore opportu-nities to incorporate stormwater managementinfrastructure in playground renovations.

2.6Leverage city and private sector programs andresources to support open space development:Neighborhood Plaza Program, GreenThumbGarden Coalitions initiative.


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OPEN SPAC

RECREAT

3.Integrate stormwater man-agement strategies throughopen space design to better

prepare East Harlem forthreats from climate change.

3.1Require developers to manage 1" of storm-waterrunoff from all impervious surface area on their site.

3.2Ensure all Combined Sewer Overow (CSO)Tributary Areas that overlap with the boundar-ies of CB11 become Priority CSO Tributary Areas

for DEP in FY17. 3.3

As part of a Priority CSO Tributary Area, DEPshould identify and study existing undergroundstreambeds along East Harlem streets andthrough large properties working with otheragencies like NYCHA to prioritize green infra-structure at these locations.

3.4Take a comprehensive planning approach towaterfront resiliency, incorporating priorand ongoing planning efforts to create green/natural buffers along the waters edge in EastHarlem and achieve overlapping benets to thepublic from ood and storm surge protection.

4.Remove cultural and

psychological barriers tousing parks.

4.1Create new and leverage existing funds andpartnerships to expand open space programingin East Harlem.

4.2Improve outreach and communications for parkprogramming by developing an inventory, sharedcalendar, and outreach strategy for East Harlemprograms and permitting.

5.Remove physical barriersto parks and open spacethroughout East Harlem.

5.1Provide increased lighting and tree pruningaround light sources throughout East Harlempublic open spaces, prioritizing spaces alongthe Park Ave. viaduct (particularly 111thStreet), Marcus Garvey Park, and NYCHAdevelopments. Lighting options should includeLED, solar and pavement.

5.2Make sidewalks, parks, and other open spacesADA compliant and convenient for seniors andcaregivers with young children. Prioritize ParkAve. viaduct, Harlem River Park, 96th Streetand FDR, and Marcus Garvey Park.

5.3Improve neighborhood waynding and createunied open space signage that includes parks,GreenThumb gardens and NYCHA properties.

5.4Improve the structural conditions of the EastRiver Esplanade.

5.5Improve accessibility to existing connections toRandalls Island, and study additional ways toimprove access (footbridges, bus routes, ferryservice).


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Park Improvement District Park improvement districts are patternedafter business improvement districts, with thepower to impose a real estate transfer tax togenerate revenue to support specic parks,especially signature parks. The MarylandState Parks system is supported by a 0.5%real estate transactions tax, while Battery

Park City parks are supported by rentalrevenue, and this support favorably impactsrental rates. The Chicago Loop Tax IncrementFinancing District was enlarged to incorporateand fund Millennium Park.

This preceden t relates to Recommendation 1.2Source: ny4p.org/researc h/other-reports/or-altrevenue10.pdf

Schoolyards to Playgrounds While there are hundreds of Jointly OperatedPlaygrounds (JOPs) across the city, the vastmajority of schoolyards are not used for playafter school hours. In 2007, PlaNYC identiedhundreds of schoolyards across the city thatcould be opened or renovated for after-hoursuse, via the Schoolyards to Playgrounds

program. The NYC Department of Parks &Recreation works with the Department ofEducation and the nonprot Trust for PublicLand to improve many of the schoolyardsthrough capital improvements, including playequipment, painted sports surfaces, trees,and benches.

This precedent relates to Recommendation 2.5Source: nycgovparks.org/greening/planyc/schoolyards

PRECEDENTS

S c h o o

l y a r

d t o P l a y g r o u n

d a t

I S 2 2 6 i n B r o o k

l y n

C o u r t e s y o f

N Y C P a r

k s

B a t

t e r y

P a r

k C i t y

C o u r t e s y o f

B a t

t e r y

P a r

k C i t y A u t

h o r i t y


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Schools &Education

/Pre-K, Daycare& Afterschool

C O M M U NI T Y

VI SI O NI N G W O RK S H

O P

# 2July 1st, 2015 6:308:30pm

at Hunter CollegeSilberman School of

Social Work

85 Participants

Additional Youth and FamilyEngagement:

November 2nd, 2015Dream Charter School

7th and 8th graders workshop142 students

7 parents/guardians

40



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The second Community Visioning Workshopfocused on Pre-K, Daycare and Afterschool(led by Harlem RBI), and Schools & Education

(led by Renaissance High School forInnovation). Participants had a chance todiscuss both youth programs and the stateof schools and education in the small groupportion of the session. They were rst askedto identify strengths and challenges for eachtopic. For youth programs, participants hadmore in depth conversations focused on thecondition of facilities, leveraging the richnetwork of community-based organizations,what services are most important, andwhat programs are missing from theneighborhood. For Schools & Education,participants discussed how to create morediverse pathways to careers and college,how to align services and programs withstudent need, integrating technology intoschools and what types of partnerships areneeded in schools.

Additionally, Dream Charter School hosteda workshop with 142 of their 7th and 8thgrade students and some of their parents/guardians. Participants talked moregenerally about what makes East Harlemspecial, what they think is missing from theneighborhood and brainstormed ideas abouthow to improve the neighborhood.

41


I a m c o n c e r n e d wi

t h t h e

a m o u n t o f vi ol e n c e , g a n g s

a n d h a vi n g m o r e p r o

d u c ti v e

p r o g r a m s f o r y o u n g

t e e n s ,

i n c r e a si n g m e n t o ri n g

p r o g r a m s a n d f i n di n

g j o b s f o r

t h o s e t h a t c o m e o u t

o f j ail.

*From EHNP survey res pondents


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42


Youth0-24 year oldsmake up 33

percent of East Harlems population,and the opportunities provided throughschools, daycare and afterschoolprograms in East Harlem are offundamental importance to their lives.East Harlem, which is in DOE's District4 and a small portion of District 5, hasmany young people who need activitiesand engagement that extend beyonda standard K-12 education curriculum.

School-based mentorship, along withcareer and college support, provides anopportunity for students to think aboutand prepare for the future. East Harlemhas a number of organizations, includingcultural and service groups, which helpbridge school-life with these typesof support structures in the broadercommunity.

1 PS 83 Luis Munoz Rivera2 Harlem RBI / Dream Charter School

Pal Rivera, Courtesy Perkins Eastman/ Sarah Mechling-Perkins Eastman

3 Our Lady Queen of Angels School,229 E 112th St Kate Milford 2016

4 Pre-school program, Courtesy of Boys& Girls Harbor

1

Schools& Education


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43

Pre-K,Daycare &Afterschool

2

3

4

East Harlem also has a varietyof long-standing programs thatmeet a variety of needs for pre-K,daycare and afterschool, oftenoffered in multiple languages, andthrough partnerships with localcultural institutions and communityorganizations. These are all importantto young peoples education anddevelopment. Based on research byorganizations such as the Centerfor Public Education, children whoparticipate in pre-K and afterschoolprograms are more likely to besuccessful, both inside and outside

of school.

Schools & Education / Pre-K, Daycare & Afterschool


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44


YOUTHPOPULATION(0-24 years)

33% East

Harlem

31%NYC

STUDENTS

WITHDISABILITIES

NYC

24.2% 18.7%

EastHarlem

District 4

COLLEGEREADINESS

70%18%

UpperEast Side

EastHarlem

% O F S TUD ENT SGR AD UAT ING

R EA DY F OR CO LLE G E

While there are many successful programs in East Harlem that provide valuable services, thecommunity visioning workshop and subgroup meetings identied a number of areas that could beimproved to better serve East Harlems youth today and in the future:

DOEs efforts to broaden and diversify school curriculum should to be furtherencouraged, including expanding the focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering,and mathematics) and including more arts, music, culture, local history, specialeducation programs, nancial education and vocational training with exposure tocareer options.

Specialized services and programs that schools do offer may be resource-limitedor misaligned with specic local needs. Students needing this specialized supportsuffer from these limitations. On a broader level, students often need more supportfor college and career pathways. Challenges in education have a signicant effect onoutcomes; only 18 percent of East Harlem students graduated college-ready in 2011.

School facilities face signicant capital and capacity limitations, which can lead toovercrowding and increased competition between schools for resources. DOE andSCA continue to make important upgrades and advancements to facilities in thedistrict, but more remains to be done. Some pre-K, daycare and afterschool programfacilities need repairs, while others lack access to a diversity of spaces for differenttypes of activities. Common needs include access to outdoor and recreational spaces,and more spaces for exible uses like music, art and libraries.

Source: NYC Community Health Pro les 2015 Source: New York State District Level Databy Grade 2014-15

Source: NYC Coalition for Educational Justice(class of 2011 college readiness rates by zipcode)


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Outside of school, there are difficulties to ensuring that students receive the besteducation that they can. Disconnects between family life and school can undermineeducation and attainment. Not all families feel engaged in their childrens educationdue to factors like lack of outreach, family education attainment, and languagebarriers. Given those barriers, parents often miss out on information about whatshappening for their children in school, and as a consequence, time at home does notsupplement what students are learning at school as much as it could.

There is a need for center-based programming for infants and children from 0-3 years old, as well as improved coordination between childcare and pre-K programs.

Pre-K, daycare and afterschool programs can increase their impact by moreeffectively partnering with existing community-based organizations. Thesepartnerships can provide a greater breadth of programs and strengthen theneighborhood network.

Pre-K, daycare and afterschool programs also have gaps in their services. The hoursof the facilities sometimes do not reect the needs of those who use them, and thereis a need for more programs to serve families with infants and toddlers.


EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTOF POPULATION 25 AND OVER

East Harlem

Manhattan

NYC

Less thanHigh School

Degree

HS graduateor Associate's Bachelors

Graduate orProfessional

Degree

28%

20%

14%

44%

46%

28%

17%

20%

31%

12%

14%

28%

Source: 2010 Census PUMA


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46


M a l c o l m X

B l v d

5 t h

A v e

5 t h

A v e

5 t h A v e

L e x

i n g t o n

A v e

P a r k

A v e

M a

d i s o n

A v e

3 r d

A v e

2 n

d A v e

1 s t

A v e

L e x

i n g t o n

A v e

P a r k

A v e

M a

d i s o n

A v e

3 r d A v e

2 n

d A v e

1 s t

A v e

MARCUSGARV EY

PARK

E 130th St30th St

135th St

125th St E 125th St

E 120th St

E 110th StPark North

E 106th St

F D R D

r

E 96th St

E 116th St

15th St

39th St


D r i v e

43rd St

ENTRALPARK

THOMASJEFFERSON

PARK

P l e a

s a n t

A v e

TRIBOROPLAZA

HARLEMRIVER PARK

Afterschool Programs

Daycares, Headstarts, etc.

Universal Pre-K

Public Schools

Private Schools

Charter Schools

Higher Ed


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47


As part of the planning process, a survey was released to all public school principals inDistrict 4, which encompasses a majority of the public schools in East Harlem. We askedprincipals to prioritize specialized programs by level of importance to their students and theneeds of the district. The Schools & Education subgroup used this information as the basisof Recommendation 1.1.

A total of 24 principal surveys were collected.

1 Social Emotional Services2 Academic Remediation3 Literacy Programs4 Mobile Computer Labs5 Funding for Social Workers,

Psychologists6 Professional Development

for Teachers7 Restorative Justice

Practices8 Adult Education Programs9 Health, Medical Services10 Wrap-Around Services11 SAT/ACT Prep12 Autism Services

TOP SERVICE NEEDSIDENTIFIED BY PRINCIPALS

1 TechnologicalEnhancementsHardware

2 Playground Redevelopment3 Auditorium Upgrades4 Air Conditioning Retrots5 Electrical work to sustain

current and futuretechnology in the building

6 Bathroom Upgrades7 Electrical work for A/C unit

installation8 Technological

EnhancementsSoftware9 Library Upgrades10 Technological

EnhancementsBroadband and Phone Lines

11 Science Lab Upgrades12 Safety Systems

TOP CAPITAL NEEDSIDENTIFIED BY PRINCIPALS


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SCHOOLEDUCAT PRE KDAYCAR

AFTERSCH

3.Develop external

partnershipsand pull partnerships

into schools.3.1

Develop an East Harlem resource guide that schoolscan use to establish partnerships with CBOsand service providers, and that CBOs and serviceproviders can use to nd schools.

3.2Enlist the resources of the NYC Office ofPostsecondary Readiness and the Center forYouth Employment in the Office of Workforce

Development to actively link interested highschools to East Harlem Workforce Developmentorganizations and CBOs that can provideservices to schools.

3.3As the the NYC Department of Youth andCommunity Development Summer YouthEmployment Program is expanded to the school year, ensure that the 2016-2017 pilot is expand-ed to at least one East Harlem program.

4.Address signicant capitaland capacity needs facing

East Harlem schools.4.1

Increase the number of high schools that haveopen non-competitive admissions policies in

East Harlem.4.2

Perform electrical work to sustain currentand future technology in East Harlem schoolbuildings, such as computer labs, broadbandinternet, phone service, and air conditioners.Begin with an initial allocation to PS108, locatedalong the Park Ave. viaduct. The school lacksthe electrical capacity to run A/Cs in thesummer, nor can they open their windowsdue to the noise from the viaduct.

5.Expand professional

development opportunitiesfor educators

in East Harlem.5.1

Increase funding for teacher training in EastHarlem schools.


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6.Improve existing pre-K,daycare and afterschool

facilities, and ensure thatquality spaces are created

within new buildings.6.1

Prioritize pre-K, daycare and afterschoolfacilities for repairs or relocation based on acomprehensive inventory and prioritizationstudy of these facilities in East Harlem.

6.2Encourage expanded shared-use agreementsbetween pre-K, afterschool and daycare pro-grams and schools, institutions of higher learningand hospitals to access facilities after hours andduring off hours (computer labs, media centers,gyms, libraries, playgrounds, indoor pools, etc.).Additionally, these spaces should be affordable torent so as to not prohibit programs from takingadvantage of these joint agreements.

6.3Improve internet and phone infrastructure inEast Harlem pre-K, daycare and afterschoolfacilities.

7.Create more center-based

programs for 03 year olds.7.1

Expand Universal Pre-K initiatives to include0-3 year old programming.

8.Ensure that programmingis high quality, consistent,

and well-funded.8.1

Support the following three initiatives fromthe Campaign for Children policy platform: (a)Implement universal access to full-year, full-day

early childhood education; (b) Ensure salaryparity for equally credentialed staff in the publicschool system and early care system; (c) Providea sufficient per-child rate to ensure qualitystandards are met.

9.Create greater awareness

of existing programming.9.1

Increase the amount of afterschool programseats in East Harlem.

9.2Document existing available afterschool pro-gramming and share this information with thecommunity, both online and in hard copy. Ensurethis information is available in multiple languagesincluding Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish andFrench.

CONTINUEDOBJECTIVES &RECOMMENDATIONS


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Community Schools The research-based Community School modelhas a proven track record of improving academicachievement. Community schools are matchedto an effective community-based organizationand a full-time in-school Community SchoolCoordinator. The model creates strong part-nerships to provide social services, counselingand mental health support, targeted academicinterventions, and to engage entire familiesand communities as part of a holistic approachtowards elevating educational outcomes. The NYCCommunity Schools Initiative, an effort of Mayorde Blasio's administration to re-imagine the Citysschool system, will create approximately 100 newfully-developed Community Schools over the nextseveral years.

The City faces several challenges as it tries tocreate high-quality community schools acrossthe system, including data tracking and aca-demics. Experts agree that school staffers andoutside service providers must plan and worktogether to pull off the community-school model,and that requires sharing data about individualstudents needs and their performance in classand afterschool programs.

This precedent relates to Recommendation 1.2Sources: http://www1.nyc.gov/site/communityschools/index.pagehttp://ny.chalkbeat.org/2015/05/04/now-aiming-for-200-community-schools-city-unviels-a-plan-to-get-there/#.VmXzO7grLcs

PRECEDENT

H e l

i o - C

h r o n o m e t e r , 1

0 4 t h S t r e e

t a n d

L e x i n g

t o n

A v e

K a t e

M i l f o r d

2 0 1 6

H a r

l e m

R B I / D R E A M C h a r t e r

A f t e r s c h o o

l p r o g r a m

C o u r t e s y o f

H a r

l e m

R B I / D R E A M

C h a r t e r

S c h o o

l SCHOOLEDUCAT PRE KDAYCAR

AFTERSCH


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NYCHA/Housing

Preservation

C O M M U NI T Y

VI SI O NI N G W O RK S H O P

# 3July 29th, 2015

6:30-8:30pm

at Johnson HousesCommunity Center

150 Participants

52



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The third community visioning workshopfocused on Affordable Housing Preservation,led by El Barrios Operation Fight Back(EBOF), and NYCHA, led by the Johnson

Houses Tenant Association. Participants wereinvited to choose which of the two topicsthey preferred to discuss during the smallgroup portion of the workshop. For bothtopics, participants were asked to identifystrengths and challenges. For HousingPreservation, participants had in-depthconversations about tenant harassment,affordability, displacement, neighborhoodchange and the physical conditions of housingin East Harlem. For NYCHA, participants hadin-depth conversations about repairs andmaintenance in public housing developments,safety, economic empowerment for publichousing residents, how open space withinNYCHA developments could be better utilized,concerns about development on NYCHA landand what meaningful resident engagement indecision making looks like.

53


of EHNP survey respondent say they are concerned with:

RISING COST OHOUSING

of EHNP survey respondents say they are concerned with:DISPLACEMENT

of poor, working class & senio

61%

63%


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54


Public housing has been a signicant partof the East Harlem community for the last65 years. Growing out of local activismand the leadership of politicians such asFiorello LaGuardia, who represented thearea in Congress, East Harlem becamethe epicenter of urban reform in New YorkCity. East River Houses was the rst publichousing built in East Harlem, with JeffersonHouses and Johnson Houses being built inthe following years. By 1965, a quarter ofall East Harlem residents lived in publichousing (Samuel Zipp, p. 260).1

2

NYCHA


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55

1 Rooftop view of East Harlem and thePark Ave viaduct L. Reynolds2 George Washington Houses John

McCarten / New York City Council3 Corsi Houses La Guardia Memorial

House. Courtesy of NYCHA

NYCHA

3

As a result of this focus on urban renewal,East Harlem today has the greatest con-centration of public housing in Manhattan,with almost 30% of East Harlem residentsliving in New York City Housing Authority(NYCHA)-owned properties. Public housingdevelopments contain considerable openspace where residents exercise, play andrelax. They also provide many meetingplaces, support services and otherimportant facilities. With such a largestake in the neighborhood, the strengths

and assets of NYCHA housing have amajor impact on the neighborhood. Theneighborhood has an active communityof tenant leaders/activists, in partbecause of the density of public housing,tenant associations and commu-nity-based organizing groups thatfocus on improving housing conditions,preserving public housing and creatingcommunity action and organizationaround a range of local concerns.

East Harlems NYCHAresidents represent

9%of New York Citys entire

NYCHA population

34,240 people(28%)

of East Harlem residents live in NYCHA

Source: 2015 NYCHA Data Book Sources: 2015 NYCHA Data Book, U.S. Census Bureau, 20102014American Community Sur vey 5-Year Estimates


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56


M

mX

5 t h

A v e

5 t h

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5 t h A v e

L e x

i n g t o n

A v e

P a r k

A v e

M a

d i s o n

A v e

3 r d

A v e

2 n

d A v e

1 s t

A v e

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P a r k

A v e

M a

d i s o n

A v e

3 r d A v e

2 n

d A v e

1 s t

A v e

MARCUSGARV EY

PARK

E 130th Stth St

th St

th St E 125th St

E 120th St

E 110th Strk North

E 106th St

F D R D

r

E 96th St

E 116th St

th St

th St


D r i v e

rd St

NTRALPARK

THOMASJEFFERSON

PARK

P l e a

s a n t

A v e

TRIBOROPLAZA

HARLEMRIVER PARK

ROBINSON

MORRISPARK

120TH STREHAB

WAGNER

WAGNERPARK AVE EAST122ND, 123RD STS

UPACASITE 6

& 5

CORSIHOUSESMILBANK-FRAWLEY

TAFT JOHNSON JEFFERSON

335 E 111TH

CLINTONLEHMANVILLAGE

CLINTON

CARVER

WHITE

WILSON

METRONORTHPLAZA

EASTRIVER

LINCOLN

LEXINGTONCARVER

CARVER

WASHINGTON

NYCHA's General Funddecit in 2015:

$74M5-year major capital

needs as of 2015:

$17B

Average repairtimes in all NYCHA

developments

December 2014:

28 days*December 2015:

47 days* NYCHA Target:

15 days**

Open work orders

on NYCHA propertiescity-wide

December 2014:

103,000December 2015:

139,000

Source: NYCHA Executive Budget Hearing: Committees onPublic Housing and Finance. June 8, 2015.

Sources: * NYCHA Metrics Public HousingCharts 2016 ** NYCHA Minutes of BoardMeeting 11/26/2014

Source: NYCHA Metrics Public Housing Char ts 2016


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NYCHA

The Neighborhood Plan addresses several challenges that NYCHA residents identied.Key challenges are described below:

NYCHA has undergone a series of Federal and State budget cuts over the last twodecades, resulting in signicant disinvestment in NYCHA buildings and operations.Some East Harlem NYCHA developments have over 1,000 open work orders.Ensuring repairs in NYCHA homes are carried out effi ciently and effectively is amajor issueone that NYCHA residents and tenant associations have been activelyadvocating and organizing around.

Improving communication between NYCHA management and residents iscritical. Specically, NYCHA residents need to have a strong voice in how NYCHAdevelopments are managed and how future plans are developed. NYCHA residentsemphasized the importance of inuencing how the NextGen NYCHA plan, whichincludes potential new residential construction on NYCHA developments inorder to generate funds for NYCHA building repairs and to create affordable

housing, is being rolled out. While some residents at the Visioning Workshopopposed development on NYCHA vacant land, others were open to the possibility,if residents were adequately informed, engaged in dialogue about conditionconstraints and possible solutions, and were able to vote on whether or notdevelopment on NYCHA property was the right answer for their particulardevelopment.

As families that live in NYCHA developments change over time, it may becomeharder to accommodate growing households or for seniors to downsize andmove into accessible units locally within the NYCHA community they know. More

attention to this issue is required in order to serve local needs and maintaincommunity ties and cohesion.

Elected offi cials and NYCHA have taken signicant steps to ensure that NYCHAresidents are safe within their own buildings and on their developments. Morecan be done to encourage strong communication within the NYCHA community,new approaches to policing developed in conjunction with the New York PoliceDepartment, and addressing physical design and operational issues around lightingand building entrances.

A critical concern is the high rates of unemployment among young people livingin NYCHA. As a result, it is critical to continue to strengthen NYCHAs workforcetraining initiatives and provide access to jobs that lead to careers throughactivities such as the Jobs Plus Program.


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1.Ensure that repairs are

made on NYCHA developmentsefficiently and using high

quality workmanship.1.1Create a more effective and transparent

Optimal Property Management Operating Model(OPMOM) program if and when it is expandedto East Harlem developments. Improve trainingof managers to listen to the needs of theirresidents. Improve relations between managersand central NYCHA divisions. Allow for weekendand overnight repairs. Provide managers moreexibility in whom they may call for repairs.

1.2Establish an East Harlem pilot where unionsagree to a trial shift system for after hoursand weekend repairs in East Harlem NYCHAdevelopments.

1.3Bring the NYCHA One Call program (whereNYCHA repair task times and employees aredigitally tracked) to all East Harlem NYCHAdevelopments.

1.4Return to previous system of district-wideannual budgeting sessions with NYCHA staff and

resident leaders twice a year.1.5

Conduct annual inspections of units in EastHarlem NYCHA developments in order to (a)anticipate a timeline for future repair needs,and (b) conduct repairs on the spot duringthose inspections whenever feasible. Ensurethat annual inspections are decoupled fromidentifying vio

east harlem neighborhood plan

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