Harlem City Council member Kristin Jordan Richardson has gone silent over developer Bruce Teitelbaum’s recent proposal to construct a $700 million apartment project, One45, at Lenox Avenue at West 145th Street.
Richardson’s office told us that she was “working on an announcement” to reply, but didn’t know when it will be ready.
Richardson famously refused to back Teitelbaum’s plan that will create 915 recent apartments on the underused site because making half of them “reasonably priced” weren’t enough for her taste.
NYC Councilwoman Kristin Jordan Richardson.
Richardson didn’t back the project, claiming there have been not enough reasonably priced units.
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Teitelbaum yanked the rezoning proposal last 12 months, knowing that the Council wouldn’t attempt to override Richardson’s veto. The body normally defers to the district representative.
Teitelbaum now plans to re-start the rezoning process. His letter to Richardson about what he now calls “One45 Harlem For ALL” put her on the spot. If she again balks, he’ll use a part of the land as a truck depot and one other part for about 60 market-rate apartments, each of that are allowed without rezoning.
Teitelbaum invited the Council member to “join me in direct talks with no pre-conditions, no ultimatums or rigid demands.”
The discussion needs to be “nose to nose,” his letter said, and suggested that Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine could help arrange the meeting. Levine, like most other elected officials, are strong supporters of Teitelbaum’s plan.
