The Battle Over Harlem’s One45 Project: A Political Shift and the Push for Truly Affordable Housing

​The One45 project—a proposed multi-building development at West 145th Street and Lenox Avenue in Central Harlem—has been one of the most fiercely debated land-use battles in modern New York City history. Located directly next to the 145th Street subway station, the proposal aims to build approximately 1,000 new residential apartments, ground-floor retail shops, community facility spaces, and a dedicated 90-unit building for 100% affordable senior housing.

​Despite its potential to bring new investment and hundreds of housing units to the area, the project became a lightning rod for broader neighborhood struggles around gentrification, rising living costs, and corporate development in Upper Manhattan.

​The Core Controversy: What Does "Affordable" Really Mean?

​The debate over One45 has rarely been about whether Harlem needs housing; it has been about who that housing is actually built for.

​Under the developer’s plans, roughly 330 to 450 of the 1,000 units were set aside as "affordable housing". However, critics pointed out that NYC calculates affordability using Area Median Income (AMI)—a metric that factors in wealthy surrounding suburbs like Westchester and Nassau counties. As a result, rent prices for these designated "affordable" units often remained far too expensive for long-time, low-income Harlem families making average local salaries.

​Supporters of the development countered that creating hundreds of permanently affordable units and new community space was far better than leaving the site underused, especially given the citywide housing crisis.

​The Political Tug-of-War: From Rejection to Approval

​The trajectory of the One45 site completely shifted as local political leadership changed hands in Central Harlem.

​1. Kristin Richardson Jordan’s Stand against Gentrification

​During her tenure as the City Council Member representing District 9 from 2022 to 2023, Kristin Richardson Jordan—a democratic socialist and anti-gentrification activist—was the main political challenger against the One45 proposal.

​In New York City politics, the local Council Member holds unwritten but powerful veto power over rezoning decisions in their district (a practice known as member deference). Richardson Jordan argued that the proposal fell far short of providing deeply affordable units for working-class Harlem residents. She demanded that a much higher percentage of the complex be reserved for households earning low income levels.

​When the developer, Bruce Teitelbaum, refused to meet those terms, Richardson Jordan blocked the rezoning, forcing the developer to withdraw the application in 2022. In response, the developer converted the vacant land into a noisy, polluting diesel truck depot under existing zoning laws. The truck depot triggered intense public backlash and community protests before Richardson Jordan stepped down at the end of her term in late 2023.

​2. Yusef Salaam’s Pragmatic Compromise

​In early 2024, Yusef Salaam—one of the exonerated members of the "Central Park Five"—took office as the new City Council Member for Central Harlem. Salaam brought a more negotiation-focused approach to real estate development.

​Recognizing the need to resolve the truck depot stalemate and build new units, Salaam reopened negotiations with the developer. He pushed for guarantees on permanently affordable units, a 100% affordable senior building, and stronger community commitments. With Salaam’s backing and support from Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal (who took office succeeding Mark Levine in 2026), the NYC City Council officially voted to approve the land-use rezoning. Pre-construction site clearing began shortly thereafter.

​State Senator Cordell Cleare’s Position on One45

​State Senator Cordell Cleare, who represents Harlem in New York State Senate District 30, has consistently taken a skeptical and cautious position on One45 and similar major developments.

• ​Focus on "Truly Affordable Housing": Cleare, a lifelong Harlem resident and longtime tenant organizer, has repeatedly warned against luxury developments that only include a small percentage of affordable units. She argues that introducing hundreds of high-end market-rate apartments drives up surrounding property values and accelerates the displacement of Black and Latino families who have lived in Harlem for generations.

• ​Support for Deep-Income Targeting: While Cleare advocates for new housing, she aligns closely with community groups like Defend Harlem. Her stance demands that new construction must prioritize deep affordability targeted directly at existing residents' actual incomes, rather than relying on standard city AMI formulas.

• ​Legislative Action: Rather than relying solely on private developers, Cleare’s housing platform focuses on expanding tenant protections, preventing displacement, and funding state-backed affordable housing programs. She continues to advocate for maximum public subsidies and deeper income restrictions on large-scale developments across Harlem.