Controversial Rezoning in Harlem, A Year Later

16 September 2009 - 1:00pm

Controversy surrounded the 125th St. Rezoning, which locals thought would cause rampant gentrification. One year later, little has changed.

"City Councilwoman Inez Dickens, who represents central Harlem, took the lead when it came time for negotiations with the Department of City Planning, and her office helped to engineer economic programs to complement the rezoning actions. These days, Dickens takes the long view on the future of Harlem's Main Street, most of which is in her district. "When the rest of the world is bleeding, communities of color will hemorrhage. That is the way it has always been," she said. "But people also have to understand that even when the economy is good, it often takes three to four years from approval to when doors are opened on a new development.""

Source: City Limits, September 16, 2009
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