Jonathan Rose

Jonathan Rose

Harlem Block Party: Entire Block of 135th Street Slated for Green Retrofits

Mon

Nov

Some blocks get all the history. West 135th Street in Harlem, between 7th Avenue and Lenox, was one of the proudest blocks in the neighborhood during Harlem's glory years. In 1910, the St. Philip's Episcopal Church -- the wealthiest of uptown's black churches during that period -- bought the block of homes on 135th Street, with the intention of renting them to parishioners. At the time, the row of stately townhomes were the first buildings that far uptown to belong to an African American landlord. The block was later the home (and one of the main subjects) of the famed photographer James Van Der Zee. These days, the block is notably worse for wear, but headed for another encounter with New York City history.

Rose Companies' Tapestry: First Mixed-Income Green Rental Building in Harlem

Wed

Nov

by Stephen Del Percio

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Developers Jonathan Rose of the Rose Companies and Gerard Lettire closed a couple of weeks ago on financing for the Tapestry, a 184-unit, affordable housing project 245 East 124th Street (at Second Avenue) in Harlem. The 12-story rental development will seek a LEED Silver rating from USGBC, meet the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria, and participate in NYSERDA's Multifamily Performance Program. Rose broke ground on the $65 million project yesterday and assembled financing from a dizzying number of sources- Enterprise tax credits, tax-exempt bonds, loans, and other grants. Half of the Tapestry's units will be set aside for low-income residents. Mr. Rose told the New York Times last week that, even in the midst of the credit crunch, financing is still out there for developers who "have a good track record, and financial strength, and the project has to be well thought-out." The Times makes the excellent point that there will never be enough affordable housing here in New York; local developers such as Mr.