Challenges for the Northern Area

Inwood and Marble Hill are threatened by a number of issues that are currently affecting their historic resources.  The major issues is the under-recognition of the variety of middle-income residential structures. 

This lack of acknowledgment from both the public and building owners manifests itself as neglect, redevelopment, and changes to the architecture and building materials. Other issues that can potentially undermine the historic fabric include the current zoning as well as increased property value and the influx of residents with higher incomes. These problems may ultimately lead to the demise of the historic fabric if the potential of the significant buildings is continually overlooked.

Inwood:

Community Issues

According to the Community Board 12 Statement of Needs Report, Inwood has the largest concentration of youth in New York City.  At present there is a need for more academic space to accommodate the student population. The schools are overcrowded and the current trend of families moving to the neighborhood will further this problem.¹

The 2000 census information linked to the western section of Inwood revealed that at the time of the survey the median household income was approximately $18,000 and the median household rent $728. These statistics, however, have changed along with the current real estate market.  Inwood is a highly sought after neighborhood for its idyllic qualities and the high percentage of cooperative apartments are creating a state of flux, and consequently driving the prices of apartments and homes higher. This situation is providing an ideal climate for residents to sell their homes at a profit many times the original expense.²

The new population moving into the area, mostly families, is financially better off than those selling their apartments or homes. Although many of the buildings are rent stabilized, if real estate prices continue to rise, they may eventually force those currently living in Inwood, who can not afford to rent at elevated rates, to relocate. In this state of potential economic gain, building owners in low financial situations can sell their properties at a profit, increasing the risk of demolition and redevelopment of the land.³

Zoning and Development

Inwood’s original architectural fabric of detached and semi-detached homes alongside six-story apartment buildings is largely intact and in no imminent danger of redevelopment. However, development is a possibility on the parcels with smaller homes as they are built under bulk according to the current R7-2 zoning (see Appendix IX). These homes can potentially be demolished in favor of larger, taller structures that would destroy the character and continuity of the neighborhood’s built fabric.

Conservation of Architectural and Material Integrity

The most prevalent perceptible issues affecting the buildings in this neighborhood are neglect and inappropriate or insensitive repair to the building form, design and materials. Although there are few vacant buildings in Inwood, they are being neglected along with others that are currently inhabited. Constant maintenance and upkeep of these buildings is crucial to save historic fabric from complete deterioration and replacement.

There are many examples in the area where integral design elements such as original windows and sheet metal cornices have been removed. In many cases, what were slender steel casement windows have been replaced with nondescript aluminum double-hung sash substitutions. Especially impaired by these alterations are the windows that originally graced the corners of the Art Deco apartment buildings in thin horizontal bands. Today, the boxy aluminum replacements have removed an attractive element from the intended form, altering its physical presence and architectural meaning. Additionally, sheet metal cornices that have been removed from the parapet walls of buildings are stuccoed over or, in more than one case, have been replaced with a flat piece of corrugated sheet metal. These changes have altered the appearance and architectural intent of the original design.

Insensitive repairs to the historic materials of these buildings can be both unsympathetic in detailing and detrimental to their structural integrity. Repointing of masonry buildings can be damaging if the replacement mortar is stronger than the surrounding brick. The physical presence can also be changed drastically if the repair is of a different material or color than the original. These repairs are often executed when the owner is not aware of the damage it can incur or if initial cost and speed of repair is of primary importance (see Appendix I).

The buildings in Inwood are not the only resources threatened by neglect; Inwood’s park infrastructure is in need of repair and is currently not on the city’s docket for funding. Both Isham Park and Inwood Hill Park are in need of maintenance that includes repair of the pathways, benches, pier and lampposts. The visitation to the parks is climbing as more people are moving to the area specifically for the large amounts of open space available in the neighborhood.

Marble Hill:

Community Issues

According to the 2000 census, the majority of the units in Marble Hill are rental properties. The median household income is approximately $13,000 and the median gross rent is $594.⁴ This area has begun to change in real estate value although not to the extremes noticed in Inwood.⁵  Market realties drive developers to opt for the highest lot usage possible leading to redevelopment that can be a detriment to the scale and residents of the neighborhood. Potential redevelopment of this area may mean that current residents will no longer be able to afford to live in Marble Hill and will have to move out of Manhattan to find more affordable housing. 

Zoning and Development

Marble Hill’s most significant historic resources include residential buildings of varied yet common forms of suburban and urban housing types. They coexist in a low to medium urban density setting and are zoned R5, R6 and R7-1 respectively.⁶  In its previous waves of development the residences of Marble Hill were archetypes of a desirable habitat.  They took the form of single-family homes and walk-up apartments for the middle-income. These dwellings embody Marble Hill’s evolution. Today, Marble Hill is home to Manhattan’s sole collection of single-family houses and must be preserved in order to maintain a sense of continuity and connection. The preservation of Marble Hill’s historic fabric, especially the single-family dwellings, is threatened by the possibility of large-scale development under the current high-density zoning. 

Marble Hill’s major historic waves of development created a coherent neighborhood, which is now threatened by non-contextual new construction on the relatively few vacant lots that exist in the area. There is also a risk of declining buildings being demolished, which would make larger parcels available for redevelopment. Most likely market realties will drive large-scale apartment buildings and the highest lot usage possible. Such a future threatens the scale and formal context that is integral to the significance of Marble Hill. Rezoning is one of the available tools to manage this problem before it becomes a reality. Rezoning of lots currently zoned for manufacturing along Terrace View Avenue could also strengthen the residential appeal of Marble Hill.

A large new commercial center that will house Target and Marshalls is currently being constructed just east of Marble Hill below West 225th Street. This complex will challenge the economic viability of the commercial district along Broadway across the street that is poised to open for business this year.  The busy district is lined with local “mom and pop” type stores, whose commerce will be affected by the new movement and traffic patterns, among other factors. Although this new development may provide employment to the community, it is going to lead to other issues including the need for the area to accommodate an increase in traffic and possibly development, which may result in gentrification. It is crucial that the district responds and takes action to remain a vital and integrated part of the community.  Also the low, mostly one- and two-story buildings in this location at the base of the hill emphasize the topography behind, which is an important visual feature of Marble Hill.  High-density buildings would block occupants’ views of the topography, the Harlem River, and other features typically seen by residents in low-density buildings today.

Conservation of Architectural and Material Integrity

The built environment of Marble Hill is currently in decline and has lost some of its original integrity and historic character.  Reasons for this decline include several abandoned and decaying buildings, improper maintenance and repairs to structures, and insensitive infill.   Specific issues regarding conservation in Marble Hill vary according to building types, from single-family homes to apartment buildings.

The wood-framed villas of Marble Hill have gone through alterations over a period of more than 100 years of existence. The most prevalent alterations are re-siding and the replacement of windows, which to some degree affect the architectural integrity of the buildings, but more seriously can put the actual structures in jeopardy by trapping moisture, causing and concealing structural damage behind the siding.  There are a few examples of structural failure and neglect that have gone so far that the structures are beyond salvaging, but generally the owners maintain their buildings. From a standpoint of preservation and long-term economics, the matter of how maintenance and renovation is carried out is a pressing issue, since misdirected actions in extreme cases can lead to damages where buildings are beyond rescue in a physical and/or architectural sense. If the maintenance methods are left unchanged, Marble Hill may have to pay the consequences through undesired new re-development of the neighborhood; necessary demolition may give way to major redevelopments with aesthetic and size-insensitive infill.  Recent construction that shows little sympathy for the character of Marble Hill points in this direction. It can also undermine the community as changes to the structure of the built fabric can have effect on the economics of the area.

The brick buildings from Marble Hill’s second wave of development are generally in relatively good condition though in most cases their windows have been replaced. In at least one case there is a serious problem with a façade detaching from the structure behind and there are a number of cases where cornices already have been removed or are disintegrating, causing hazardous situations. Less urgent, but causing unnecessary damage is re-pointing with hard mortar and the application of anti-graffiti treatments.

¹Community District Needs-Manhattan  (New York: City of New York, Office of Management and Budget, Dept. of City Planning, 2004).

² Approximately 75% of the apartment buildings in the neighborhood are cooperative. Interview with John Shortall of New Heights Realty, April 20, 2004.

³ Interview with John Shortall of New Heights Realty, April 20, 2004.

⁴ Demographics Cultural Group

⁵ Interview with John Shortall of New Heights Realty, April 20, 2004.

⁶ See appendix XI.