Revealed: East Harlem Rental Building by Gerald J. Caliendo Architects Rising at 2183 Third Avenue

Here’s our first look at 2183 Third Avenue, an under-construction mixed-use project in East Harlem being developed by Sharon Kahen and Haim Levi’s East 119th Street Development LLC. The parcel at the northeast corner of East 119th Street and Third Avenue is giving rise to a 12-story, 64,000-square-foot building designed by the prolific Gerald J. Caliendo Architects. The building will contain 59 rental units, retail space, and a medical facility at ground level.

In 2003, East Harlem underwent a 57-block rezoning spearheaded by the Bloomberg administration’s City Planning chair Amanda Burden. The revision, the neighborhood’s first in 40 years, increased density allowances along First, Second, and Third Avenues, while preserving the human-scaled midblocks in between. Over the past decade, more than a dozen residential mid-rises, roughly 8-12 stories, have blossomed along the area’s wide, well-trafficked corridors. Recent developments spurred by the rezoning include Barry Rice’s 119th & Third, Hunter College’s Silberman School of Social Work, and Kahen and Levi’s own CL Tower at Third Avenue and East 121st Street, two blocks north of their current project site.

Back in 2013, Kahen vowed to the Times that, “In the next five years, we will invest $75 million to connect East Harlem to the Upper East Side.” The development partnership purchased the 6,000-square-foot lot at 2183-2189 Third Avenue for approximately $3.8 million and shortly thereafter purchased 11,000 square feet of air rights from neighboring 2191 Third Avenue.

2183 Third Avenue’s zoning lot prescribes a maximum overall building height of 120 feet and a base floor-area-ratio of 6 (or 6.5 with a community facility inclusion). The building rises flush with its neighbors and conforms to a required 85-foot-high street wall before stepping back. To promote street-level activity, it will provide 20,000 square feet of commercial space, which will include an ambulatory diagnostic treatment center, according to a recent filing with the Department of Buildings.

Rendering of 2183 Third Avenue posted at the construction site (L); Foundation work proceeding at the site (R)

According to the sole rendering posted on the Caliendo’s website, and a submitted zoning diagram to the DOB, the design calls for a burgundy brick tower with large corner windows that will provide stunning views of Hunter College classrooms across the street. A few upper floor units will have terraces, and along its 119th street frontage, alternating sets of saw-toothed windows will facilitate extended views down the tree-lined side street. More recent filings and a rendering posted at the construction site depict only the first eight stories of the project, perhaps signifying a smaller project has been downsized, or that the additional square footage has yet to be approved by the DOB. The architects could not be reached for comment.

Amenities will include an attended lobby, a shared rooftop terrace, a common laundry room, and a resident’s terrace along the rear yard. The project is near the nearby 6 train subway stop at 116th Street and Lexington Avenue and the M116 bus.

According to the Times piece, units will range from one to three bedrooms, with one bedrooms starting at $2,500 a month and two bedrooms at $2,900. To compare, the nearby CL Tower has three rentals available with studios starting at $1,649 and a one-bedroom unit going for $2,249; The Tapestry on 124th street has six one-bedrooms available ranging from $2,050 a month to $3,200 and Alto along 117th Street has one bedrooms starting from $2,600. 2183 Third is expected to be completed early next year, and prices at the new building will most likely reflect changes in the market.

Follow Listings for 2183 Third Avenue at CityRealty.

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