The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), in partnership with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the Harlem African Burial Ground Initiative, has issued an RFP to select an operator to design and manage a Cultural Education Center at the Harlem African Burial Ground in East Harlem, New York City.

As a cemetery for free and enslaved Africans from the mid-1600s to the mid-1800s, the Harlem African Burial Ground is a sacred site of New York City’s early history, with great significance for communities of Black and Indigenous descent. For decades, the Burial Ground was forgotten and disrespected, but tireless research and advocacy brought this history to light. The historic footprint of the Burial Ground is located on an approximately 18,000-square-foot portion of Manhattan Block 1803, Lot 1, also known as 2460 Second Avenue. The City-owned site, which encompasses an entire Manhattan city block, will be home to a future mixed-use project that will include a permanent outdoor memorial honoring those buried at the Burial Ground, along with the Cultural Education Center. A 15,000 square foot Cultural Education Center was analyzed during environmental review and ULURP as the maximum envelope. Respondents should propose a facility that is sized to meet the Respondent’s specific programmatic vision and that is cost-effective within that envelope. EDC reserves the right to work with the selected Operator on refining the space proposal.

It is expected that once the Cultural Education Center is operational, the Designated Operator will develop responsive, culturally appropriate programming for the Cultural Education Center and the Outdoor Memorial. Respondents should create a proposal for the Cultural Education Center that is responsive to the needs and desires of East Harlem, demonstrates knowledge of the neighborhood’s socioeconomic and demographic context, and outlines clear mechanisms for residents’ continued engagement. It is expected that the Designated Operator will consult with the Harlem African Burial Ground Initiative, designated in 2011 by Manhattan Community Board 11 as the organization representing the interests of the historic Burial Ground, regularly on matters related to the Cultural Education center.

For more details, please visit our Business Opportunity page by clicking here.