The New York City Council unanimously approved the long-debated One45 mixed-use development project in Harlem in a final vote this week.

“I entered office with a vision to empower my community while providing equity and inclusion. My mandate is to prioritize the approval of developments that include affordability for our current residents and to provide opportunity and empowerment and advancement for them as well,” said Councilmember Yusef Salaam at the meeting on Monday, July 14.

The One45 project is a three-building complex on West 145th Street in Salaam’s district. It includes approximately 1,000 housing units, with 90 units of senior housing and 338 affordable units. The project has several community benefits, such as renovation of a neighboring playground, a new technology center, commercial and retail space set aside for local businesses, and paid internships for local youth.

Before the final vote on Monday, the City Council modified the development proposal to require a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) Option 1 at one of the three buildings, which means residents at 60% or lower of the Area Median Income (AMI), and to reflect revised building heights and programs, said City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.

“We went back to the table again and again until we got a deal that reflects the values and the needs of Harlem,” said Salaam.

Since the project promises more than 350 local construction jobs and 20% local hiring, as well as 20% commercial space for Harlem-based businesses, local unions are excited about the approval.

“As the largest union of property service workers in the country, including more than 90,000

residential and commercial property service workers in New York City, 32BJ supports

responsible developers who invest in the communities where they build,” said 32BJ SEIU Secretary-Treasurer John Santos in a statement. “The One45 for Harlem developers have made a credible commitment to creating prevailing-wage jobs for the workers who will permanently staff the building. As the cost of living rises and working New Yorkers struggle to stay in their homes, it is more important now than ever to create affordable housing and good jobs [that] uphold the industry standard in the city —which is why we are proud to support this project.”

However, some housing activists and organizers are still deeply unhappy with the affordability level in the One45 development. A small group gathered at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building on West 125th Street last Friday, July 11, to protest at Salaam’s office.

The last step in the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process is to have the project receive mayoral approval. Mayor Eric Adams is a huge proponent of building more housing across the city, as evidenced by his City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan.

According to the developer, Bruce Teitelbaum, Adams is already in favor of the One45 project. “Thanks to Mayor Adams’s support and the backing of Councilmember Salaam, Harlem won today,” said Teitelbaum in a statement.

Salaam also announced that his office will have two street co-namings coming up, honoring influential Harlem figure Malcolm X and Salaam’s predecessor, the late Councilmember Bill Perkins.

“The Bill Perkins Plaza, named after my mentor, champion, and friend, is a bittersweet moment,” Salaam said at the meeting. “[The] Honorable Bill Perkins exemplified what it means to have a seat at the table and to make sure that you were not on the menu. He was his own man and made bold moves, such as being the first elected official in New York to endorse then-Senator Barack Obama for president. This is Bill’s home, and now he will have a plaza forever reminding people of his impact on making this city great by fiercely defending and protecting the rights of all of its citizens.”

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