Partnership Led By Infinite Horizons, L+M Development Partners, Urbane, and Lemor Development Group Will Transform Lincoln Correctional Facility Into Dynamic Hub for Housing and Community Spaces
Part of Governor Hochul’s Bold Vision to Address New York State’s Housing Crisis Through Executive Action – Including Initiative to Repurpose State-Owned Sites as Housing
Also Builds on Recommendations of the Prison Redevelopment Commission to Reimagine Underutilized Jails and Prisons
Governor Kathy Hochul today unveiled Seneca, the selected proposal to redevelop the former Lincoln Correctional Facility in Manhattan. This proposed project would invest over $90 million in Harlem, bringing 105 affordable homeownership units, community spaces, and jobs with ambitious MWBE contracting and local hiring goals, all of which would contribute to the enduring prosperity of the Harlem community. A 65 percent Minority-Owned Business Enterprise partnership led by Infinite Horizons, L+M Development Partners, Urbane, and Lemor Development Group has been conditionally designated to transform the 10,000-square-foot property to deliver affordable homeownership and community-centric spaces.
“This announcement brings us one step closer to transforming the former Lincoln Correctional Facility in New York City into a vibrant, mixed-use development with more than 100 affordable new homes,” Governor Hochul said. “As part of my commitment to increasing New York’s housing supply, my administration is continuing to follow the recommendations of the Prison Redevelopment Commission and reimagine what’s possible at underutilized jails and prisons. Soon, this project will unlock tools to help us address the housing crisis, create jobs, and improve New Yorkers’ quality of life, and I look forward to working with the development team to bring it to fruition.”
Now envisioned as Seneca, this reimagined site would fuse affordable homeownership with arts and culture to become a vibrant community hub in Harlem. The Seneca project builds on the Governor’s bold vision to address New York’s housing crisis, including through the Pro-Housing Communities Program and Executive Order 30, which catalyze barrier-breaking approaches to accelerate critically needed development.
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “By transforming the former Lincoln Correctional Facility into 105 units of affordable housing, we are not only creating new pathways to homeownership, but we are also planting the seeds for generations of residents to put down roots and build wealth in the community they call home. Seneca represents the power of reimagination to sow spaces where equitable growth can blossom for a brighter future in Harlem.”
Seneca is a visionary redevelopment proposal designed to unlock the full potential of the 10,000-square-foot site and deliver significant benefits to the Harlem community. Located on West 110th Street, the site sits directly across from Central Park and is close to transit, retail, schools, and premier cultural institutions. At the core of this transformative project are 105 affordable homeownership units, all of which would be affordable to households earning 80 percent and 100 percent of area median income (AMI) and require only a 5 percent down payment to purchase, offering an invaluable opportunity to build wealth through property ownership. Creating affordable homeownership opportunities in Harlem would advance social mobility and equity in the community and have a powerful transformational impact on each family at Seneca for generations to come.