Development To Build Housing Over Harlem Amtrak Tracks Moves Forward

HARLEM, NY — A proposal to build a residential building next to active Amtrak train tracks in Harlem — with two of the floors partially cantilevered over the rails — has moved forward in the next stage of the rezoning approval process.

Developers under the name Crosscap Holdings LLC are seeking a rezoning approval for 701 West 135th St., where they hope to build a seven story, 60-unit 45,500-square-foot building beneath Riverside Park, directly abutting and over the elevated train line.

Up to 18 of those units will be affordable, at somewhere between 60-80 percent of the Area Median Income, said a representative at a City Planning Commision presentation last week.

Nearly 30 feet of the sixth and seventh floor would hang over the tracks in order to have the 135-foot-tall building sit below Riverside Park to not disturb existing sightlines to the river, the representative said, who also cited the narrow, unusual site as a reason for the cantilevered floors.

The ground floor will include commercial space, and the representative noted that the location has a long history of failed commercial tenants at the address.

To make the project happen, the developers are seeking zoning text amendments to allow for size and bulk, as well as a special permit to build over the tracks.

The tracks are part of Amtrak's Northeast Empire Corridor line, and would require approval by the train operator for the cantilevered section of the building before any development could occur.

According to a 2021 letter of awareness, developers have not yet secured a real estate agreement with Amtrak. The train operator called their pursuit of zoning approvals prior to securing their own as "premature and unwise" in the letter.

The project representatives said they currently do not have a real estate agreement from Amtrak.

Currently, the site is a vacant, two-story building that has been the home to several failed restaurants and nightclubs.

Due to a sinkhole at West 135th Street, the only current direct access to the site is through West 138th Street and 12th Avenue, but a representative told the City's Planning Commision last week that the city plans to make sidewalk repairs and improvements to the corridor.

Planning commissioners had several questions regarding access to the site and if the building design could facilitate maintenance and potential future freight use by Amtrak.

The planning commissioners certified the proposal, sending it next to be reviewed by Community Board 9.