(nydn) Members of the city's Planning Commission were loudly denounced for approving a controversial proposal Monday to rezone Harlem's legendary 125th St. The vote was also coolly received by residents and small business owners along the famed corridor, where high-rise office towers and condominiums could soon pop up. "Uncle Tom sellout!" screamed Harlem architect and historian Michael Henry Adams as commission members voted 14-2 in favor of the plan, which still needs final approval by the City Council. Adams said the white members were "destroying" Harlem by approving the plan, which he fears will bring housing built exclusively for "well-to-do whites." He singled out Amanda Burden, calling her a "rich, rich useless socialite." Burden said the commission was keen to "maintain and enhance 125th Street's unique and varied character and its identity as Harlem's 'Main Street.'" The city Planning Department has spent four years organizing a mix of uses, heights and incentives along 125th St. between Broadway and Second Ave. It includes incentives for "arts and entertainment uses" like galleries, theaters and museums and will impose a 290-foot height limit - the first ever along the street. The City Council must vote on the proposal by April 30. Critics charge the plan would price longtime residents out of the neighborhood by allowing market-rate housing to be developed and would replace an iconic African-American locale with chain stores, hotels, luxury housing and high-rises. Headquarters for Major League Baseball's cable channel is one of the prospective tenants of an under-construction tower at E. 125th St. and Park Ave. The plan also could squeeze out 71 small neighborhood businesses, according to city estimates.

Join BBN for free to post a comment. If you already have an account, please login here to post a comment. You will be returned to this page after logging in.