New condo draws criticism

For West Harlem resident Sylvia Green, a long-abandoned lot on Morningside Avenue was more tolerable than the new building now occupying that space.

“It’s outrageous—we’ve got homeless people here, people in shelters, people needing affordable housing left and right,” Green said. “This building should be given to them.”

But the new development, 88 Morningside Ave., will be targeted toward an entirely different clientele—mostly middle-class families, according to the developer. And with sales set to commence on May 4, Green—along with some other local residents—is lamenting that this entirely market-rate building is ill-fitted for a neighborhood where calls for low-income housing abound.

88 Morningside, located just east of Morningside Park at 122nd Street, is a 12-story residential building that began construction in 2008. Church of the Master—the property’s original owner—leased the property to developers BOS Group LLC, Horsford & Poteat Realty, and the Bluestone Organization, according to Elder Effie Bynum, a representative from the church.

The building will have 73 units, including 47 one-bedroom, 17 two-bedroom, and nine three-bedroom apartments. Amenities include a lounge on the ground floor, a pool table and wet bar, a landscaped roof deck with a built-in kitchen, and a fitness center.

“One of the things that was important in the way that we designed the building is the experience that you have when being in the building—not just the finishes of the building,” Beatrice Sibblies, a managing partner with BOS Group, said. “We wanted to make sure it is very communal and liveable,” she added, referring to features such as an island kitchen, the large size of the lobby, and the 2,000 square feet of community space on the roof.

And the benefits of living in 88 Morningside extend beyond the grounds of the building itself, according to Brad Taylor, president of Friends of Morningside Park. Taylor said that he has had conversations with the developers about offering building residents annual Friends of Morningside Park memberships as a welcoming gift, which would include offering residents information about the organization’s events and invitations to fundraisers.

But to some, these perks come at a hefty cost. Prices for apartments in the building begin at $355,000 for one-bedroom units, $595,000 for two-bedroom units, and $775,000 for three-bedroom units. And rather than serving as a beacon of new housing opportunities for local residents, some say that the building will do just the opposite, indirectly displacing neighborhood residents as property values continue to rise.

“This is pushing people out—that building is way too expensive and should have a certain amount of affordable rooms allocated for people,” local resident Theresa Lewis said. “I went through the Housing Preservation and Development [department] when I applied for housing seven years ago, and since then, prices have absolutely gone through the roof,” she added, referring to the New York City affordable housing municipal developer.

But this phenomenon of buildings quickly sprouting up throughout the neighborhood is far from new, according to Community Board 10 housing chair Melvin Christian.

“It’s not affordable for CB10 people, and the people moving into that building are not CB10 people,” Christian said. “But there’s nothing we can do about it.”

And for some nearby residents already operating on tight budgets, these opulent apartments seem to be unattainable offers just around the corner.

Local resident Volker Beech said, “People ... just don’t have the money ... And now there’s this new building here, and people are going to want to buy into it, but they just can’t.”

But the building’s developers said that while the prices may seem steep by some standards, they are more than a fair bargain relative to other Manhattan developments. They said that their price ranges for a non-subsidized, privately owned building are cost-effective and accessible for many New Yorkers.

“For the rest of the country, it’s not affordable—the average apartment is about $200,000,” Sibblies said. “But that’s not the average price in Manhattan.”

And while many local residents will likely be unable to afford housing in 88 Morningside, they too may ultimately reap the benefits from a building largely intended to be geared toward middle-class residents, said Barnard urban studies professor Flora Davidson. As they move into the neighborhood, they will demand better services, which will increase the overall quality of services offered throughout the area, she said. “This kind of gentrification is a double-edged sword,” Davidson said. “On the one hand, some people may get displaced, but the vast majority will not and will benefit from the improved services.”

At least one neighborhood resident agrees that this could be a positive change for the neighborhood. “This is a good thing,” local tenant Richard Stroud said. “It brings the quality of life up and makes things more balanced with all the economic differences around here.”

kim.kirschenbaum@columbiaspectator.com