East Harlem Housing Proposal on City-Owned Lot Plans 698 New Units: Updated

An affordable and supportive housing complex is slated for a city-owned site in Manhattan’s East Harlem neighborhood.

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) submitted plans on Friday to rezone the city block surrounding 22 East 119th Street. The requested amendments will facilitate a housing project spanning two buildings with a total of 698 units. PincusCo first reported on the filing. 

The site is currently occupied by a six-story, 174-unit single room occupancy building where Volunteers of America–Greater New York hosts supportive housing for formerly homeless, single adults, many of whom are veterans.

In accordance with a city policy that avoids “spot zoning” individual tax lots, the rezoning proposal would impact the entire East Harlem block, bounded by East 118th and East 119th streets, between Madison and Fifth avenues. 

In addition to the site’s designation as an urban renewal area and the disposition of city-owned property, HPD’s requested amendments would label the block as a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing area, ensuring affordable housing will be a part of any future redevelopments of the block’s privately owned buildings. 

The Friday filing, which appeared on the city’s zoning application portal, incorrectly referenced altered plans for a 762-unit, three-building project. A spokesperson for HPD told Commercial Observer these figures belong to an outdated project description.

Land use documents for 22 East 119th Street were not immediately available, but prior documentation of the project, sponsored by nonprofit Volunteers of America–Greater New York, included a 23-story supportive housing tower and a 25-story affordable housing tower. Plans also incorporated community space and commercial facilities for the nonprofit, with funding sought through HPD and the New York City Housing Development Corporation.

A spokesperson for Volunteers of America–Greater New York did not respond to a request for comment. 

The 698-unit project is a short walk from 101 East 118th Street, another city-owned site where a transformative housing project is already underway. The upcoming development, Timbale Terrace, will rise 20 stories with 341 units of affordable housing. The $225 million project is being developed by nonprofit Lantern Organization in coordination with HPD.

Emily Davis can be reached at edavis@commercialobserver.com.

Update: An earlier version of this story referenced a filing on New York City’s zoning application portal that incorrectly listed the project’s number of buildings and units.