Harlem USA

Harlem USA is a 285,000 square feet, 4-story retail and entertainmentcomplex located at West 125th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd. This transformative project set the stage for a pipeline ofdevelopment along historic 125th Street, attracting national retailers to the area and altering the landscape from once-dilapidated empty lots into a thriving retail destination. It has also served as a model for other urban retail outlets throughout the country. The superstructure is comprised of structural steel, metal decking and concrete floors. The exterior’s transparent façade was achieved by using a Pilkington super-clear glass system, and is supported by corrugated, insulated metal panels, and split-faced masonry units.  

Direct street level access to all of the retail spaces reinforces the streetscape as the dominant urban design element ofthe project. Gotham also served as construction manager for the interior fit-outs of Chase Bank and the nine-screen Magic Johnson Cineplex Theatre located at the southwest corner of the project and accessed via a series of escalators and stone tread stairways. Gotham exceeded workforce compliance requirements which were imposed by the Economic Development Corporation’s ICIP program. The complex was responsible for the creation of 500 new jobs, ranging from construction to permanent retail positions, with 75% of the workforce coming from the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zones.