In East Harlem, Hester Street worked closely with NYC City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito’s Office, Community Board 11, the Manhattan Borough President’s Office, and Community Voices Heard, to develop a community-based process and, ultimately, a Neighborhood Plan that would inform the City’s re-zoning and related policy, program and project initiatives. HST provided technical planning, design and development assistance, workshop facilitation and project management to allow East Harlem to navigate the complex waters of re-zoning for additional density.
Anti-displacement, affordability based on local resident incomes, protection of local jobs and small businesses, long-term resiliency and planning for key community resources like schools, transportation, parks and grocery stores are some of the issues that have come up in each of the communities. The plan resulted in $222 million of new city investment being brought into the neighborhood.
