East Harlem Center for Living & Learning

The East Harlem Center for Living & Learning at Washington Houses is an approximately 143,000 square foot multifamily mixed-use building that consists of 89 affordable housing units in Yomo Toro Apartments, a 54,000 GSF K-8 charter school for DREAM Charter School, and 6,000 GSF of non-profit office space for Harlem RBI. The project also includes a complete renovation of Blake Hobbs Park adjacent to the building that was informed by a community-based planning process led by SCAPE Landscape Architects.

Jonathan Rose Companies (JRCo) partnered with Harlem RBI and the DREAM Charter School, and Civic Builders to realize this project. JRCo served as the developer and owner for the housing, and developer of the school and office space core and shell. The DREAM Charter School's mission is to educate East Harlem children through a comprehensive K-8 program that builds a community of passionate lifelong learners. The housing portion participates in NYSERDA's Multifamily Performance Program and was built according to Enterprise Green Communities criteria, the national standard for green building in affordable housing. The school is expected to receive a Gold LEED rating for its green building design and construction. Sustainable elements of the development include energy efficient boilers, low VOC paint, low “e” windows, landscaping on roof terraces and use of low-emitting, recycled, and locally produced materials.

The 11-story affordable housing complex totals 80,000-square-feet and consists of 18 studios, 41 one-bedroom units, 25 two-bedroom units, and four three-bedroom units. It includes an exercise room, bike storage room, computer room, social service office, laundry facilities, and a landscaped terrace. Units have been designated for low-income households earning less than 60 percent of the area median income (AMI).