The Taystee Cake Bakery redevelopment in Harlem is making major progress, and demolition is in full swing on the old factory, which is located on 126th Street off of Amsterdam Avenue. The project is being developed by Janus Partners and Monadnock, and will consist of a variety of uses; the new facility will be dubbed CREATE @ Harlem Green, with 300,000 square feet of space, and the NYCEDC’s page on the site has full details.
Levenbetts is designing the project, which will comprise a decent chunk of the block bounded by 125th/126th Streets, between Amsterdam and Morningside Avenues. Harlem Green will be relatively short, but its form is urban-friendly, and the building’s first floor will be geared towards pedestrians. Levenbetts’ website has additional renderings of the development, which indicate a significant positive change from the design’s first iteration.
Harlem Green – image from Levenbett
Manufacturing will see the most dedicated space, with 100,000 square feet. Companies including Harlem Brewing and Greenpoint Manufacturing & Design will be moving into the building, further accelerating the rapid demographic changes in West Harlem. The surrounding blocks are free of major public housing projects, and as abandoned buildings continue to be redeveloped, the desirability of the neighborhood will continue to increase.
Besides manufacturing, Harlem Green will have 90,000 square feet of office, 40,000 square feet of retail, and 10,000 square feet of community space. The retail is particularly important, as West Harlem is largely lacking in terms of store-front opportunities, and even 125th Street remains relatively run-down.
Harlem Green – image from Levenbett
In itself the redevelopment is minor, but when taken with new developments nearby – which include Columbia’s Manhattanville Expansion – Harlem Green is a sign of a neighborhood that is on a rapid upswing. Completion dates have not been posted on-site, but the building should be finished by the 2015-16 timeframe, and construction will begin in 2014.
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