Deputy Mayor Vicki Been, NYCEDC President and CEO James Patchett and City Officials from NYC Parks, Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of Education, Department of Small Business Services, Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), New York Public Library and Council Member Ydanis Rodríguez today shared a comprehensive update on the Inwood NYC Action Plan which was approved by the City Council last August.
The Inwood NYC Action Plan committed to delivering over $200 million of public investment to the neighborhood to create, preserve, and protect thousands of affordable homes, restore parks and open access to the Harlem River waterfront, and provide new STEM education opportunities and support for small businesses. The Inwood NYC Action Plan was the result of over three years of extensive engagement with the Inwood community and lays out goals and strategies to ensure that Inwood remains an affordable, attractive neighborhood for working and immigrant families.
Progress to date on the Inwood NYC Action Plan includes:
- Preserving over 990 affordable homes in the neighborhood
- Successfully enrolling over 2,000 residents in the NYC Rent Freeze Program
- Assisting over 2,000 residents at risk for homelessness
- Connecting over 220 residents to workforce training programs
- Launching four training programs at the Washington Heights Workforce1 center to help residents develop the skills necessary to be competitive in the workforce
- Engaging residents in NYCxCo-Lab conversations on community issues and innovative solutions
- Making more than $58 million in capital investments in Inwood schools, including beginning design on the STEM Education Center at the Gregorio Luperon High School for Science and Mathematics, and beginning design for upgrades to the pools and windows at the George Washington Educational Campus.
- Committing $2 million for extracurricular science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, enrolling 39 DOE schools in Algebra for All, and enrolling 25 DOE schools in Computer Science for All
- Breaking ground on a $30 million renovation for Highbridge Anchor Park Reconstruction that will feature upgraded play areas, a new turf practice field, and improved safety and connectivity
- Completing the renovation of Inwood Park’s Dyckman Green Gym, which now includes adult fitness equipment to promote physical activity among adults
- Selecting a design team to create seven acres of new waterfront parks to connect residents to the waterfront
- Releasing a request for expressions of interest for an arts and cultural operator for the future $15 million Immigrant Research and Performing Arts Center
A full progress report is available here.
“Inwood residents made the action plan become a reality by sharing their vision, lived experience, and aspirations for the neighborhood they helped build,” said Deputy Mayor Housing and Economic Development Vicki Been. “Two years later, we’re delivering on our promise to them to keep Inwood affordable and significantly improve ITS quality of life. By working together, we’ve ensured smart growth and are keeping families in the neighborhood.”
“I’m pleased to share today the great strides that have been made in implementing the Inwood Action Plan and ensuring that the neighborhood provides the housing, jobs and quality of life that local residents deserve,” said NYCEDC President and CEO James Patchett. “I look forward to our continued progress on this plan and thank Deputy Mayor Been, Council Member Rodriguez, other local elected officials and our partner agencies for their continued work to help Inwood remain an affordable and dynamic community.”
“It’s astounding how much can get done in a year. With hundreds of affordable homes preserved and millions of dollars flowing towards job training, parks and schools, the Inwood NYC Action Plan is already bringing benefits to those who live and work in Inwood. And, there’s much more still to come,” said Department of City Planning Director Marisa Lago.
“Over the last couple years, I have been working with the City and community stakeholders to ensure that we improve the living conditions in Northern Manhattan. We will be seeing millions of dollars in investments to improve our local infrastructure, schools, and parks among many other quality of life aspects for our community,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez of District 10. “We need to protect and increase the opportunities given to our community and to our children, as they deserve to have access to the same resources those in the upper classes receive. Some of these opportunities include major investments in robotics and STEM educational programs in our community. A new state of the art Immigration Center will be built in Northern Manhattan to highlight and celebrate the many contributions that immigrants bring to our country. This center will be the first of its kind in the country and will provide invaluable resources and educational opportunities for all immigrants. All this was only possible through the collective participation of many different voices that are fighting to improve a community built by immigrants for immigrants.”
In June 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYCEDC President James Patchett and Council Member Ydanis Rodríguez released the Inwood NYC Action Plan. To develop the plan, the City held over 25 bilingual public events, workshops, stakeholder meetings, and surveys and engaged over 2,500 community members and local stakeholders. Informed by feedback and comments received from this outreach, the plan focused heavily on tackling pressing challenges that Inwood was facing – including rising rents and tenant harassment, lack of new affordable housing, inaccessible and antiquated community space, and need for better career opportunities for residents.
“We have made remarkable progress in our work to revitalize the Harlem River and provide the Inwood neighborhood with new and restored parks,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. “Open space is central to the Inwood Action Pan, and we are thrilled to be supporting the community’s desire for more recreation and waterfront access.”
“Inwood is home to a vibrant cultural community, and we’re thrilled that the Action Plan includes the creation of the Immigrant Research and Performing Arts Center, a new anchor space that will attract and engage visitors from across the city and beyond for years to come,” said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl. “We thank Council Member Rodriguez for his dedicated advocacy on behalf of his constituents, and we look forward to working with stakeholders in the area for years to come to bring this exciting project to fruition.”
“SBS is committed to continuing creating equity of opportunity for all New York City neighborhoods,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “We will continue to take steps towards harnessing the full potential of the community by supporting training programs and connecting more residents of the Inwood neighborhood to the skills they need to succeed in the workplace.”
“The Inwood Action Plan allows for strategic investments and thoughtful planning that will open the door to more affordable options. As we continue our work, our fundamental goal remains fixed on the preservation of existing affordable housing and the creation of new affordable housing to meet the community’s housing needs,” HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll. “We are grateful for the support of our partners in government and the community and look forward to future collaborations to serve the best interests of the Inwood community.
In August 2018, the City approved the Inwood rezoning and related land-use actions to provide new opportunities for housing, commercial, and community space, as well as new public open space along the Sherman Creek waterfront.
The full updated Action Plan is available for download here in both Spanish and English, here.
New York City Economic Development Corporation creates shared prosperity across New York City’s five boroughs by strengthening neighborhoods and creating good jobs. NYCEDC works with and for communities to provide them with the resources they need to thrive, and we invest in projects that increase sustainability, support job growth, develop talent, and spark innovation to strengthen the City’s competitive advantage. To learn more about our work and initiatives, please visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or our blog.
Photo credit: Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Officials today celebrated the progress of the Inwood NYC Action Plan
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