126th Street Harlem African Burial Ground Memorial and Mixed-Use Project

The Rediscovery

In 2009, a group of community members formed the Harlem African Burial Ground Task Force (HABGTF) to advocate for the creation of a memorial that would restore honor, dignity and respect to those buried at this sacred site. In 2011, Community Board 11 designated the HABGTF as the organization representing the interests of the historic cemetery. The Harlem African Burial Ground Initiative (HABGI), the successor of the HABGTF, is made up of  Melissa Mark-Viverito, former Council Member for District 8 and City Council Speaker; Rev. Dr. Patricia A Singletary, Pastor Emerita of the Elmendorf Reformed Church, the descendant church of the Harlem African Burial Ground; Sharon Wilkins, Manhattan Deputy Borough Historian emerita; and Melinda Velez, former NYC Council Legislative Assistant for Melissa Mark-Viverito.

In 2015, after the MTA decommissioned the bus depot, archaeologists were commissioned by NYCEDC to complete a Phase 1B archaeological investigation uncovered over 140 human bones or bone fragments of a minimum of two people, likely of African descent, on the site. These human remains were not situated in their original burial locations and were not within an identifiable burial shaft or grave, but were instead disarticulated, meaning they were separated from the other bones of the same body. This historic rediscovery physically reaffirmed the burial ground’s presence at this location.

The human remains were consecrated in a ceremony led by Rev. Dr. Patricia A. Singletary, and are stored in a safe and controlled environment at the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s NYC Archaeological Repository: The Nan A. Rothschild Research Center until they can later be reinterred within the future outdoor memorial.

In Summer 2019, NYCEDC and the HABGTF collaborated on a free exhibition at the La Marqueta public market in East Harlem showcasing the history of the Harlem African Burial Ground and the future project on the site. The opening featured a panel discussion moderated by Sharon Wilkins, Manhattan Deputy Borough Historian and HABGTF member.

The Vision

Beginning in 2015, NYCEDC worked in partnership with the HABGTF, elected officials, City agencies, and community organizations on a community-based planning process to develop a vision and goals for a future project at the site. In 2017, the project successfully completed the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), and a Points of Agreement (“POA”) letter memorialized the project goals and program developed during the planning process.

This process determined that the future project at the site will include:

• A permanent, public outdoor memorial, to be located on the entire historical footprint of the Harlem African Burial Ground
• An indoor cultural education center dedicated to providing programming about the history and cultural impact and significance of the Harlem African Burial Ground
• Housing, a minimum of 80% of which would be income-restricted affordable homes
• Commercial and retail space
• Additional community facility space
• Streetscape and pedestrian connections to the surrounding neighborhood
• A plan to train and hire East Harlem residents for construction and permanent jobs at the new project

Discovering History Together

From June 2024 to September 2025, NYCEDC and the Harlem African Burial Ground Initiative completed the next phase of archaeological fieldwork. Led by AKRF Inc., this work established the complete distribution of human remains across the site and recovered them alongside artifacts during fieldwork. The human remains and artifacts from the burial ground, at the request of the HABGI, are currently stored at AKRF’s climate-controlled laboratory space in New York City where they will begin analysis in early 2026. To commemorate the completion of archaeology, the project team and the HABGI held a ceremony to honor this work.

The AKRF team is supported by two bioarcheologists, Dr. Rachel Watkins and Dr. Aja Lans, both of whom have expertise in the study of human remains of African descent. Their addition to the team will ensure the human remains uncovered are analyzed with the necessary cultural sensitivity. A Technical Report summarizing the results will be released following their analysis. All human remains will be stored safely until they can be reinterred in the future memorial.

NYCEDC, in coordination with the HABGI and Bridge Philanthropic Consulting, has also completed a wide-reaching, multidisciplinary education and engagement effort to complement this important archaeological work and increase awareness and understanding of the Harlem African Burial Ground. This engagement campaign offered a range of programming catered to all ages, with a particular focus on engaging residents of East and Central Harlem, and beyond. The report released in December 2025, “Unearthing Our Legacy Together: Sharing the History of the Harlem African Burial Ground and Planning for the Future,” summarizes the findings from this effort to inform future stages of this project.

What’s Next

As this phase of engagement and archaeology comes to an end, the focus is now on assembling the right team to plan, design, and build the mixed-use development and memorial—creating a physical space to honor the legacy of the Harlem African Burial Ground and those who were laid to rest there. In December 2025, NYCEDC and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) began a public procurement process to select a nonprofit operator for the future cultural education center, soliciting proposals from cultural and community groups. Learn more about the RFP for the Cultural Education Center.

Following the selection of the operator, the City will issue another procurement to search for a developer team to manage the build-out of the mixed-use program. This developer will work closely with NYCEDC, the cultural education center operator, and the HABGI to bring the vision of the site to life.