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How a plan to build new housing in Harlem morphed into a truck depot
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HOW A PLAN TO BUILD NEW HOUSING IN HARLEM MORPHED INTO A TRUCK DEPOT



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By
Olivia Ebertz
and
Michael Hill

Published Jan 26, 2023

48 comments

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Herb Pinder / Gothamist

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By
Olivia Ebertz
and
Michael Hill

Published Jan 26, 2023

48 comments

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Harlem has a new truck depot that almost no one wants.

The lot on West 145th Street serves as a sort of stalemate between a developer
and a member of the City Council in a battle over use of the property.

The developer sought a rezoning to accommodate a multimillion-dollar housing
complex, with some apartments set aside at below-market rates. The councilmember
objected on grounds that not enough below-market units were included in the
plan. The developer responded by turning the lot into a truck depot, spurring
concern about pollution, foul-smelling air and noise.

"Morning Edition" host Michael Hill recently discussed the controversy with New
York Times metro reporter Emma G. Fitzsimmons, who wrote an article about the
controversy together with Mihir Zaveri. Their conversation has been lightly
edited for content.

MICHAEL HILL: EMMA, WHO IS THIS DEVELOPER AND WHAT HAS HE PROPOSED FOR THE LOT?

Emma G. Fitzsimmons: So his name is Bruce Teitelbaum and he is one of the major
developers in New York City. He's also a former aide to former Mayor Rudolph
Giuliani.



He has been in politics for a long time and he sort of knows the process. He
pitched this big project in Harlem and was really disappointed when it couldn't
happen.

NOW TELL US ABOUT THE COUNCILMEMBER KRISTIN RICHARDSON JORDAN, WHO'S THE ONE
RAISING THE CONCERNS ABOUT ENOUGH BELOW-MARKET-RATE HOUSING BEING OFFERED. WHY
DOESN'T SHE LIKE THIS BUILDING?

She thinks that the units wouldn't be affordable enough for people who live in
the neighborhood, and she wants to see those units really targeted toward
working-class New Yorkers, homeless New Yorkers. She's left-leaning. She
identifies as a Black socialist and she really wants to represent her
neighborhood for working-class residents, so she's at odds with the developer
here.

HOW DOES ONE COUNCILMEMBER HAVE SO MUCH POWER OVER THIS DEVELOPMENT?

It's really interesting. The New York City Council has this policy known as
member deference, where the local councilmember really has say over all the
projects in their neighborhood, and if she says no, then the project really
doesn't move forward.

And this is how it's been in the Council for some time. The current City Council
speaker, Adrienne Adams, says she's open to looking at this policy because it
really can just take one person to thwart a $700 million project.



AND WHERE DOES MAYOR ERIC ADAMS STAND ON ALL THIS?

Mayor Adams has been supportive of Teitelbaum’s original proposal, and he hasn't
commented on the most recent development, but his office sent a statement for
our story saying they’d like to work with elected officials and with key
community members to push forward affordable housing in Harlem and across the
city. But he hasn't said whether he's willing to sort of fight for this project
or whether he's willing to intervene.

YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A BIG THING IN NEW YORK AND PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS
CLAMORING FOR MORE. SO WHAT IS THE STATE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN HARLEM
SPECIFICALLY RIGHT NOW?

Harlem is a neighborhood that's changed a lot. The biggest concern for the
councilwoman was the idea that this would just make gentrification even worse,
and that working-class people would be pushed out of the neighborhood – those
who are still there.

But recently there's been a lot of approvals. The City Council has been very
favorable toward affordable housing projects because they realize the city's in
an affordability crisis and they really need to get these built as soon as
possible.

And there's a lot of talk right now about affordable housing. Gov. Kathy Hochul
has said this will be a focus for her this year on a state level. And Mayor
Adams is under pressure to address this problem because it's really hard,
especially with high inflation right now, it's really hard to get by in New York
City. And so he's really under pressure to produce affordable housing. And in
his first year in office, the advocates will say he hasn't moved aggressively
enough to help solve that problem.



SOME ACTIVISTS WILL SAY TEITELBAUM, THE DEVELOPER, IS USING THIS LOT AS REVENGE.
IS THAT REALLY TRUE OR IS HE PULLING IN A PROFIT FROM IT?

He says, "I have to do something with this site." Some people think it's more of
a publicity stunt to sort of raise awareness about how frustrated he is about
this process. And, you know, he would argue that the political system is broken
if his project can't move forward.

He would say, "I need to make some money on this site and I need to open it to
something." And he's been threatening for months that he could do this truck
depot there. And so finally on Wednesday last week, the trucks started rolling
in. My colleague went to the site that day and it was interesting. One of the
drivers said that his boss had told him just to go there and park for a few
hours.

So some are questioning whether this is a functioning truck depot or whether
it's more of a publicity stunt.

IF IT IS A FUNCTIONING TRUCK DEPOT, DOESN'T IT ADD TO THE HEALTH CONCERNS IN
HARLEM? WE KNOW ASTHMA RATES THERE ARE HIGHER THAN THEY ARE IN OTHER PARTS OF
THE CITY AND OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE.

Yeah, some people have called this environmental racism and the city already is
quite polluted. And this could just add to that.



WHY DOES TEITELBAUM WANT THE BUILDING HE PROPOSED RATHER THAN THE ONE WITH MORE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING?

He says that the project needs to be profitable. He says that he has compromised
over negotiations with the councilmember and with the council. He agreed to more
affordable housing. He says that about half of the units would be affordable and
that was much higher than the original proposal.

So he's saying, "I'm willing to compromise, but I need to work with someone who
is reasonable," and he doesn't think that the local councilwoman is being
reasonable.

EMMA, WHAT ARE HARLEM RESIDENTS SAYING ABOUT THE LAW?

Well, there were some people who showed up at the site the day that the truck
started arriving and they were screaming at the developer. And they seem
frustrated. But everyone agrees. This is sort of the worst-case scenario. The
developer never wanted this. The councilmember never wanted this. The neighbors
don't want this. Nobody wants this.

EMMA, TELL US WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE LAST WEDNESDAY – JAN. 18.



There was this protest on Saturday led by the councilwoman and Public Advocate
Jumaane Williams, and they're saying, ‘you know, he should close down the truck
depot.’ But the developer is really reluctant to submit a new application for a
rezoning.

And so I think the truck depot is there to stay. It's possible that he could
build some luxury condos in another part of the site, but I don't think he's
backing down for now.

WELL, KEEP US INFORMED, EMMA. THANK YOU. EMMA G. FITZSIMMONS IS A METRO REPORTER
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES.

This article was updated to include a photograph of the property taken on
Thursday afternoon.



Tagged

Environmental Racism
harlem
Race And Justice Unit
afforable housing crisis
manhattan

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Olivia Ebertz


Olivia is a former WNYC and Gothamist assistant producer.

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Michael Hill

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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