Museum of Civil Rights renderings via SHoP Architects
In January 2021, developer Steve Neuman, owner of Coltown Properties, filed demolition permits for the majority of the one-story buildings on the eastern side of the block at West 145th Street and Lenox Avenue. These include the headquarters of Reverend Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, which has been seeking a new Harlem headquarters since 2011. Once cleared, the lots and other vacant land, some of which came about following a five-alarm fire, will be home to One 45, a new mixed-use development containing new headquarters for National Action Network and a new Museum of Civil Rights.
According to the draft scope of work, the proposed buildings of One 45 will have an 85-foot-tall base with two towers, each about 363 feet high. The site is directly adjacent to the 3 train and down the street from the A/B/C/D lines. A rezoning is required to allow for a broader range of uses, including residential and community facility, and an environmental assessment statement has been submitted. A public scoping meeting for the project is scheduled for Monday, May 10 at 2:00 pm.
As-of-right zoning
“The new Museum of Civil Rights will energize and prepare future generations through the lens of our vast diversity and the monumental struggles to achieve equal justice for all” - Justice Jonathan Lippman
The cultural anchor of the development will be the new Museum of Civil Rights, which was conceived by Reverend Sharpton and Justice Jonathan Lippman as an educational institution that pays homage to African Americans, Latino Americans, women, the LGBTQ community, and other ethnic groups who fought against discrimination and bigotry. It aims to educate visitors about the accomplishments of the past and inspire those who look to the future.
Features are set to include a rooftop teaching garden, state-of-the-art laboratory for media production and creative arts connected to social justice, a community-curated gallery, permanent and changing exhibitions, and rooftop programming space with spectacular city views. The lobby will have a design inspired by classic Harlem architecture, central light installation, and portraits of activists etched into frosted glass walls. This is not to be confused with the Urban Civil Rights Museum, which will be a part of the National Urban League Building on West 125th Street and focus on the contributions of civil rights activists in the northern half of the United States.
Features are set to include a rooftop teaching garden, state-of-the-art laboratory for media production and creative arts connected to social justice, a community-curated gallery, permanent and changing exhibitions, and rooftop programming space with spectacular city views. The lobby will have a design inspired by classic Harlem architecture, central light installation, and portraits of activists etched into frosted glass walls. This is not to be confused with the Urban Civil Rights Museum, which will be a part of the National Urban League Building on West 125th Street and focus on the contributions of civil rights activists in the northern half of the United States.
Rooftop teaching garden
In addition to the museum and headquarters, One 45 will contain approximately 866-939 new residential units (217-282 of which would be affordable), ground-floor retail, and a banquet hall/event space. If all goes according to plan, the buildings will be constructed in one phase with an estimated completion of 2026.
Images via Department of City Planning
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