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The Story of Maple Court
+ Building on Another Community Garden
The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association
February 24, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Maple Court is a 135-unit elevator building surrounding a landscaped courtyard in East Harlem, across from Marcus Garvey Park. Maple Courst was developed in the late 1990s as a publicly assisted limited-equity cooperative with additional medical office space, storage and on-site parking for 83 cars. When it was first brought online, Maple Court was East Harlem’s first for-sale, middle-income residential construction in many years. At the time, this middle-income group was assessed at annual incomes of between $27,000 and $60,000.
The city had cleared portions of the Maple Court site under its urban renewal program. Other portions were city-owned and were transferred to North General Hospital (next door, just south of Maple Court on Madison Avenue) through the city's Uniform Land Use review process. Coordination of city, state, and community efforts to obtain and clear the block took seven years.
At the time, the development was described as:
The project is a U-shaped, mid-rise elevator building surrounding a secured, landscaped courtyard. The six-story front of the building faces the park. Two four-story wings, separated by the courtyard, project back along the side streets. The building includes a dramatic lobby and 24-hour concierge service. Native maple trees shade the courtyard, which includes umbrella tables and a play area for children.
The building contains a total of 135 units, including one superintendent's unit. The two- and three-bedroom apartments range in size from 777 to 1,175 square feet—units are larger than the hospital originally conceived—and feature a variety of floor plans. On the first floor, townhouse-style apartments that are entered from the gated courtyard occupy a transverse section of the floor. To ensure privacy and safety for occupants of first-floor units, the developer raised the elevation of the building and installed privacy fencing along the street. Apartments on the upper floors are entered through the courtyard to the elevator lobby, and they are arranged along double-loaded corridors. All units include wall-to-wall carpeting, designer kitchens, and tiled bathrooms; many have a terrace or patio. Low fencing defines and protects private patios. Canvas awnings shade balconies on the top floor of the courtyard side.
For more details, see:
Just Down Park Avenue…
Patch reports that at 1761-1763 Park Ave., (cross street; 122nd St.), HPD will destroy 2/3 of the Jackie Robinson Community Garden in order to develop a new 52-unit affordable apartment building. The building will be 124 feet tall, on the other side of Maple Court, and a bit south.
The project will yield 52 units, five fewer than originally planned, on the existing green space.
Below is a breakdown of the units to be built:
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