About Landmark East Harlem

LEARN ABOUT OUR LEADERSHIP
History Successes Historic District Designation Next Steps
Landmark East Harlem (LEH) is a coalition of organizations and individuals whose mission is to protect the special character of the neighborhood. We do this by working to secure City landmark designation and State and National Register listing for individual properties and historic districts in East Harlem. We also advocate for contextual new development and adaptive reuse of older properties. Landmark East Harlem was formed in 2015 by leaders from CIVITAS, East Harlem Preservation, and the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance; Ascendant Neighborhood Development joined shortly thereafter as the fourth member of the alliance. Landmark East Harlem believes that historic preservation is an indispensable component of a holistic community development strategy.
Founding members Joanna Delson, Kathleen Benson Haskins, & Connie Lee at an LPC hearing.
LEH has had significant success in raising awareness about the rich tapestry of historic resources in East Harlem, and has worked with the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to bring long-overdue protections to several properties throughout the neighborhood. Since late 2017, LPC has designated three new individual landmarks in East Harlem.
The first historic district in East Harlem listed on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places is centered around East 116th Street and Pleasant Avenue. The unanimous vote by the State Review Board in March 2019 to list the district represents the culmination of a three-year long process initiated and propelled by Landmark East Harlem. LEH secured grant funding from the Preservation League of New York State and The New York Landmarks Conservancy to hire a preservation consultant who conducted an intensive survey of the proposed district. The consultant determined boundaries and identified defining features and structures of significant architectural importance to make the case for historic district listing.
The first listed East Harlem Historic District is just the beginning! With the East Harlem Historic District listed, LEH set its sights on other historically significant areas of the neighborhood outside of the original East Harlem survey area. In 2019, after securing additional grant funding from  PLNYS, LEH started work on a historic resource survey of East-Central Harlem. SHPO determined historic district eligibility from the findings in this survey in 2020. In 2021, with more funding awarded from PLNYS, LEH began work on an East Harlem South/El Barrio survey of the southern portion of East Harlem. LEH will be presenting details about both surveys to the community, local stakeholders, and property owners in 2022. Once outreach is complete, our work could result in at least two more East Harlem historic districts being proposed for SHPO’s consideration.

Who We Are

We rely on our members for their expertise, guidance, and passion for preserving our East Harlem landmarks. 
Interested in joining our board? We’re looking for new members! Email helfenm@ascendant.nyc for more info.

Chris Cirillo

Chris Cirillo became the Executive Director/President of Ascendant Neighborhood Development in July 2012. Since arriving at Ascendant, Chris has expanded the organization’s work to include neighborhood planning, historic preservation, and asset management. He also helped to establish the Northern Manhattan Collaborative and was an early supporter of Landmark East Harlem. Before joining Ascendant, Chris spent 6 ½ years as Vice President for Development at The Richman Group. Chris also held several positions at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development over ten years, including Director of Large Scale Development and Assistant Commissioner for Neighborhood Planning. Chris is a graduate of Brown University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies. He recently completed his Master of Science in Historic Preservation at Pratt Institute, and teaches in the Real Estate Practice and Historic Preservation programs at Pratt. Chris is a member of the Board of Directors of the Historic Districts Council and the Board of Directors of Friends of La Marqueta.