NEW TRY FOR TOWERS
With change of Council pol, builder aims for Harlem housing
The developer of a controversial plan to build a pair of huge residential towers known as One45 in Harlem has entered the beginning stages of the rezoning process with the city, signaling the project’s official relaunch after it hit a wall two years ago.
That’s according to preliminary filings made this month with the Department of City Planning by developer Bruce Teitelbaum that were obtained by the Daily News. The documents mark one of the first steps in a rezoning process he will eventually need to clear before he can build on his property at 145th St. and Malcolm X Blvd. — a process from which he withdrew in 2022 amid pushback from the local City Council member over affordability concerns.
The renewed effort to make One45 a reality could serve as a litmus test for the city’s appetite for building new homes amid an ongoing housing crisis.
This time around, a number of factors may work in Teitelbaum’s favor: openness from the new, more development-friendly Council member, the recently agreed state housing deal and Mayor Adams’ edict to “build, build, build” to combat the historic housing shortage.
“It’s taken way too long for us to build 1,000 new homes in Harlem, but since there’s now light at the end of the tunnel — and with the cooperation of city officials who have been terrific and also the good working relationship we have with the Council member” — Yusef Salaam — “we decided to restart the arduous process,” Teitelbaum told The News.
“Needless to say, I wouldn’t be moving forward if we haven’t already had very good discussions with Council member Salaam and I thought we couldn’t find common ground,” he added.
The recently filed “Pre-Application Statement” provides a first look at the latest plan.
It includes three buildings with 922 total units, half of which would be marked as affordable.
One tower, on the corner of Malcolm X Blvd., would be 33 stories tall and have 461 market-rate apartments and 36 affordable ones, along with retail on the ground floor and an events space at the top.
The other tower would be 35 stories tall and have 300 affordable units and 125 supportive ones, with a three-story community facility attached.
There is also a newly introduced single-story building detached from the towers that would be designated for retail.
Under the plans, the two residential towers would be built first, followed by the small commercial property, with an estimated completion date of 2029. Project specifics will likely shift during the rezoning process.
Compared to previous versions of One45, the latest proposal has taller towers, more affordable units, more square footage earmarked for housing — and no parking.
The initial plan featured up to 939 total apartments, with 30% affordable housing — a figure that was later bumped to 50% during negotiations — and up to 141 parking spaces. A civil rights museum to be led by the Rev. Al Sharpton was central to the original vision, but he backed out.
Many Harlem locals have vehemently opposed the project since it was first reported in 2021, citing concerns around gentrification, height and affordability.
The last rezoning attempt collapsed in 2022 in the face of opposition from then-Councilwoman Kristin Richardson Jordan, who wanted One45 to be 100% affordable and whose role essentially decided whether the rezoning would pass.
Teitelbaum, who once served as chief of staff to former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, pulled the application before it could formally be voted down.
Richardson Jordan subsequently dropped her reelection bid and was succeeded by Salaam, who came into office this year and has indicated he’s more open to the idea.
“It is clear that one of Harlem’s most pressing needs is housing, both in number of units being developed and in the affordability of those units,” Salaam said in a statement.
“As such, I’ve welcomed conversations with developers that are looking to build in Harlem — productive conversations that are centered on the needs of our neighborhoods. I look forward to continue having conversations with developers, such as Mr. Teitelbaum and the One45 team.”
The L-shaped property is currently home to several small shops, including a community center serving many recently arrived migrants and an unpopular truck depot that Teitelbaum opened last year to protests.
In January The News reported One45 was showing signs of life as Teitelbaum’s team was helping a mosque on the site relocate within Harlem.
One45’s comeback attempt faces a long, uncertain road as it approaches the formal rezoning process, which is likely months away. Teitelbaum told The News he hasn’t decided whether the project will take advantage of a recently revived state tax break to finance the construction.
“We have had very good conversations with the Council member [and] other members of the community,” he said. “We still believe strongly in the project, and I think that’s really the bottom line.”