NEW YORK | 2460 Second Avenue | FT | FLOORS (1.1 mil-sqft)
This could be a big project for Harlem. Probally one of the tallest too. Office + residential with retail base.
===============================
1M-SF Mixed-Use Project With African Burial Ground Memorial, Envisioned for Harlem
Quote:
The New York City Economic Development Corporation hopes for a 1.1-million-square-foot mixed-use project to replace a full-block East Harlem site that was home to a bus depot, the city agency announced in The City Record last week.
Plans for the city-owned site at 2460 Second Avenue, which have been bandied about between politicians and two community task forces for the last few years, include a memorial for African slaves buried under the site almost 350 years ago, flanked by housing, offices, retail and community facility space.
“The primary goal of the East 126th Street bus depot project is the development of a living memorial and cultural center to honor and commemorate the significant social and cultural history of the Harlem African burial ground and its descendant community,” an EDC spokeswoman said in a prepared statement. “The memorial will be the centerpiece of a mixed-use development that will provide housing and jobs to the East Harlem community.”
The EDC’s current analysis for the site, which will be presented in a public meeting on Sept. 27, plays heavily towards officials’ plans to create more affordable housing. It includes the possibility of 730 apartments spanning 655,215 square feet; 50 percent of the units will be affordable to households earning at or below 80 percent of the area median income.
The remaining space on the site will be comprised of 315,000 square feet dedicated to retail and office use, and 30,000 square feet for community facilities. About 15,000 square feet of the community facility portion will be dedicated to the Harlem African burial ground memorial. The EDC has unearthed some old remains of slaves buried under the site, but none were intact due to the various site development over the years. If more remains are discovered during the excavation, they will be restored and held for possible inclusion in the memorial.
EDC hopes to include a 300-spot above-ground indoor parking garage, plus an 18,000-square-foot outdoor space. The development is slated for completion by 2022, according to the EDC, which couldn’t yet put a price tag on the construction due to the fact the project is still in the planning stages.
At some point early next year the city will start a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, or ULURP, to acquire the required approvals from local Community Board 11, Borough President Gale Brewer, the Department of City Planning and the City Council, to sell the city-owned land to a private developer, and to change its zoning code.
It would be nice if we had an idea of what this proposed development was.
I obviously want a tower.
Something that is so tall, you can clearly identify it from miles around.
BTW, East Harlem is really in a good spot to host a supertall, although it would stand out from the shadows of the shorter buildings.
It would be nice if we had an idea of what this proposed development was.
I obviously want a tower.
Something that is so tall, you can clearly identify it from miles around.
BTW, East Harlem is really in a good spot to host a supertall, although it would stand out from the shadows of the shorter buildings.
A render would be nice.
Too early for a rendering. Right now just an idea, a template for future development. At some point, this will be redeveloped. Time is our enemy, but for now, we have a thread ingrained in cyberspace to discuss it when the time comes.
As this phase of engagement and archaeology comes to an end, the focus is now on assembling the right team to plan, design, and build the mixed-use development and memorial—creating a physical space to honor the legacy of the Harlem African Burial Ground and those who were laid to rest there. In December 2025, NYCEDC and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) began a public procurement process to select a nonprofit operator for the future cultural education center, soliciting proposals from cultural and community groups. Learn more about the RFP for the Cultural Education Center.
Following the selection of the operator, the City will issue another procurement to search for a developer team to manage the build-out of the mixed-use program. This developer will work closely with NYCEDC, the cultural education center operator, and the HABGI to bring the vision of the site to life.
NEW YORK | 2460 Second Avenue | FT | FLOORS (1.1 mil-sqft)
Linear Mode
