The city is plowing ahead with plans to set aside New York City Housing Authority space for charter schools — with a mammoth 1,300-seat school proposed for Harlem’s St. Nicholas Houses, public documents show.
The plan calls for the renowned Harlem Children’s Zone to open a kindergarten-through-12th-grade public charter school as early as 2011 right in the middle of the housing project on West 129th Street.
The group already operates three charter schools — including the Harlem Promise Academy 1, which would occupy the new site — and a host of social services in the neighborhood.
“It’s much more preferable than co-locating them in public-schools buildings,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. “[But] we should look at this in a more holistic way rather than selling [NYCHA land] off piece by piece.”
Education officials said the city would put up 60 percent of the estimated $100 million construction cost — and own the building — while the Harlem Children’s Zone would pay the remainder.
Residents of the St. Nicholas Houses would get preference for seats for entering 3-year-olds, according to public documents.
“I think it’s a good thing for our children and for the neighborhood that they’ll have the opportunity to get a good education,” said tenants-association president Wilma Mae Lewis.