Residents of 3333 Broadway, a towering mixed-income complex in West Harlem, may get free air conditioning this summer, but it will come at a cost.
In December, residents of 3333 Broadway, a 35-story apartment complex directly adjacent to Columbia’s planned Manhattanville campus, received a letter from building management that said Columbia would provide and install free air conditioning units a month after the University began construction between 125th Street and 129th Street. Some say they are concerned about the construction’s impact on air quality.
“They’re pacifying us,” Alicia Barksdale, president of the 3333 Tenants’ Association, said. “The university didn’t come to us as a community in the building.”
Residents can apply to recieve A/C units for living rooms and bedrooms, with free installation but not electricity or subsequent repairs.
“Installation of an in-sleeve air conditioner will allow you the option of a closed window condition during warmer days,” the letter said.
Residents would then own the units and be responsible for paying for electricity or any repairs that may be necessary, which the Tenants’ Association said may be impossible for the mostly low- and middle-income residents of the building.
“We have a lot of seniors on fixed incomes,” Barksdale added. “People are struggling in this economy and Con Edison is expensive,” she said.
Barksdale said she also worries about the environmental impacts of the construction.
“We’re concerned about the kinds of toxins coming out from the demolition,” Barksdale said. “The university is not telling us how long, how many years we’ll have to keep our windows closed.”
Barksdale said she is particularly worried about the air quality for the entire neighborhood, adding that air would travel to more apartments than just the ones like 3333 Broadway that face 133rd Street.
Daniel Held, Facilities spokesperson, said the University is playing by the rules.
“The University is committed to fulfilling its responsibilities outlined in the environmental impact statement to limit the impact of construction on local residents by using the most up-to-date clean construction practices,” Held wrote in a statement to Spectator. “The University complies with all federal, state, and local regulations.”
Held said that Columbia has also adopted a Clean Construction Action Plan, which works to diminish noise and dust levels, part of which includes providing air conditioners for specified residents.
Tom Hei, professor of environmental studies at the Mailman School of Public Health, confirmed that air conditioning with a filtering system may address hazards related to air pollution.
“Filtering systems will reduce the indoor pollutant level,” Hei said. “But that only applies to those who have the resources.”
Marco Pedone, assistant clinical professor at the Mailman School of Public Health, agreed. “If used properly, air conditioners will provide better air quality than exterior air,” he said. “But it has to be a decent filter.”
Pedone also pointed to the high-profile nature of the Manhattanville construction, saying any development company would be ill-advised to deviate from the Environmental Protection Agency’s guidelines.
“All of this would normally be checked by the engineering company,” he said.“If everything is done correctly, I don’t think there will be a huge impact from demolition.”
But not everyone is convinced. Charles Callaway, a community organizer with WE ACT, an environmental justice nonprofit, expressed doubts that regulations would be enforced.
“How we will know if it goes above state level?” he said. “They need a baseline to measure the air quality right now before construction starts.”
Despite environmental concerns residents said they are grateful for the offer from Columbia.
“I’m happy to hear about it,” said Tyrone Burton. “If not for this, I would buy my own,” he said.
But others said they’re still concerned about paying the electric bill.
“I’m worried about the Con Edison bill,” said 3333 resident Josefa Guzaman in Spanish. She said she already has air conditioning in one of her rooms and pays $300, sometimes $400 a month in electricity for the summer.
“It may be free,” Marilyn Hernandez, another resident, said. “But in the end, something free costs you money.”
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