Conceptual rendering for E125 mega-development
Following the cancellation of the much-lambasted “Uptown New York” project in 2006, city officials and area activists have worked together closely to avoid a similar disaster and bring the East Harlem community what it needs and wants the most. To that end, the East Harlem Neighborhood Planning Study looked at current and future community needs to better identify growth strategies.One forlorn intersection to undergo a dramatic transformation is Second Avenue and East 125th Street. Here's a quick rundown of the projects.
Salvation Army, 175 East 125th Street
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Design by Peter Poon Architects
Supportive housing: 233 units/187,995 square feet
12 stories, 125 feet tall
Completion 2018
Salvation Army rendering
Rendering via Peter Poon Architects
Construction shot of Salvation Army (front) via CityRealty
When the Salvation Army announced its plans to sell Williams Memorial Residence (720 West End Avenue) to pay for a new building on the corner of Third Avenue and East 125th Street, the news was met with opposition from residents and elected officials alike. However, the city approved both the $108 million sale and plans to demolish the Salvation Army’s existing East Harlem building to make way for this new one. The first two levels of the new building will include a recreation center and church. Third-floor amenities will include more offices as well as fitness rooms, café, library, and meeting rooms for residents; apartments will start on the fourth floor. Residents will also have access to a basement-level basketball court and laundry room as well as a rooftop dining hall.
New York Proton Center, 225 East 126th Street
Design by VOA
Healthcare: 115,300 square feet
3 stories, 63 feet tall
Completion 2019
Rendering of New York Proton Center via VOA
Interior rendering via VOA
Construction shot via CityRealty
Proton beam therapy has shown immense promise in destroying cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue, but high construction costs, high energy requirements, and heavy machinery have precluded easy construction in New York and put the nearest location in Somerset, NJ. However, thanks to a consortium of New York's leading cancer treatment providers and the use of below-market electricity from the state’s power authority, this cutting-edge therapy will soon be just a subway ride away. Construction is nearly complete, and the proton beam equipment will be installed next. The New York Proton Center will be an anchor tenant in E125 (details below).
160 East 125th Street
Design TBA
Mixed-income housing
Completion TBD
For its first Harlem project, Extell purchased the former home of a Pathmark supermarket for $39 million and the neighboring post office for $10 million in 2014, and filed demolition plans in November 2016. There’s been some controversy over the sale and payments, but the project is underway and will bring a mixture of condos and affordable housing. Moreover, the city is negotiating a new supermarket for the site amidst concerns that the loss of Pathmark could lead to a food desert.
Design by Bjarke Ingels Group
Housing: 250 units/235,000 square feet
11 stories, 120 feet tall
Completion 2018
E126 rendering via Bjarke Ingels Group
Lobby rendering via Bjarke Ingels Group
Rendering and construction via Bjarke Ingels Group
Designs by Bjarke Ingels are always eye-catching, and the Harlem building is no exception: On the outside, the recently topped-out T-shaped building will have a curved checkerboard façade. Inside, “explosions of color” will accentuate space. Amenities will include a fitness center, pool, lounge, golf simulator, on-site parking…and a virtual reality room. 20% of the units will be affordable.
E125, The East 125th Street Development Project
Designers include VOA, S9 Architecture, and SRA Architecture and Engineering
Mixed-use: 1,000 units/1.7 million square feet
Completion 2021
This former site of a MTA bus depot will be home to over 300,000 square feet of retail space, up to 300,000 square feet of creative office space, retail, 30,000 square feet of not-for-profit arts space, a 98,000-square-foot hotel, 24,000 square feet of open public space, and 1,000 units of housing at a variety of incomes. Construction began in May 2010, and details on some of the housing have been released: 201 East 125th Street, a 19-story building designed by S9 Architecture, will bring 404 apartments on top of a community facility and amenities such as on-site parking, bike room, business center, fitness center, and roof deck. 213 East 125th Street, a 14-story building, will have 80 apartments on top of commercial and community space.
Content Specialist
Michelle Mazzarella
Michelle is a contributing writer and editor for real estate news in New York City
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