South Harlem Condo Fosters Community With a New Lounge

For nearly a decade, a 1,050 square-foot space on the ground floor at Towers on the Park, a 599-unit South Harlem condo, sat empty. Efforts to convert the vacant space — adjacent to the laundry room — into a fitness center or storage facility stalled. This was largely because the condo’s bylaws require any spending above $25,000 to be approved by a majority of unit-owners. With 15% of apartments being sublet — and many owners not living in the building — it was difficult to get the necessary votes. “We just got stuck with a vote that remained open,” says Ilene Cruz, the condo’s property manager, with Argo Real Estate. 

Towers on the Park comprises three buildings and was constructed in 1988 as a mixed-income building. One challenge in repurposing the space at the complex’s 220 Manhattan Ave. location was that it only had one door, which meant capacity could not exceed 83 people according to city fire codes. To complicate matters, it wasn’t feasible to install an additional door needed for code compliance, because the only available location for it was blocked by a staircase. “A second door was not going to be an option,” says Carl Leibowitz, who was voted in as board president last December. 

As the new board began weighing options for the space, it became clear that converting it into a lounge had multiple benefits: it could be installed at a cost that didn’t require approval from a majority of unit-owners; it avoided the need to add another door because capacity would not exceed 83; and it would foster community. “One of the things we kept hearing from people over and over again was they wanted a place where they could hang out,” Leibowitz says. 

The board allocated $10,000 from the operating budget to make the upgrades. This involved installing furniture, a TV, piano, pool table, a soft play area, and shelving for a library. “So far we’ve spent less than $6,000,” says board secretary Shari Siegel. Flooring and an accessible bathroom and kitchenette have also been upgraded with funds allocated in a previous budget for community improvements throughout the three buildings at Towers on the Park. 

Work on the lounge began in late January and the space was complete in early April. To keep costs down, building staff did some of the work, including the painting. Siegel was involved in writing the guidelines for the community room, including restrictions on alcohol, unsupervised minors, sleeping overnight, and using candles. “We didn't want the staff having to clean up,” she says. Fines will be imposed if residents break the rules.

A fob system controls access and a second fob is available for $25. As a way of recouping some of the costs, renters can get access to the lounge for an annual $100 fee. “That way, tenants will have ownership in this,” Leibowitz says. With residents given a space to get to know each other, various clubs have emerged, including a knitting group, sewing group and book club. “A lot of people are excited about the new space,” Cruz says. “They didn’t realize they wanted a lounge until it appeared.”