80-104 Avenue D; 811-903 East 6th Street; 9 FDR Drive; 749-765 FDR Drive | Block : 362 | Lot #1

Description & Building Alterations

The public housing complex Jacob Riis Houses II was completed in 1949. It was designed by James MacKenzie, Sidney Strauss, and Walker & Gilette, according to the Office for Metropolitan History. There are six buildings within this complex, built around open space. All have plain brick facades. The complex was named for Jacob Riis, the journalist and reformer whose reports on living conditions in city slums led to improvements in housing and education. Prior to construction, 682 families – 1,900 people – resided on the blocks were Riis and Riis II are now located. About a quarter of the apartments on these blocks were vacant yet listed by surveyors as being “good” or “fair” condition. Nevertheless, the NYCHA declared the area to be a slum, justifying the demolition of these buildings and the construction of the new public housing complexes. According to a 1947 report, less than 10% of families who lived here previously were eligible to live in the public housing that replaced their homes, often because they earned to much money to qualify. Antonio Garcia, local graffiti artist, and Charles Barron, Black Panther and New York City Council member, grew up in the public housing projects by the East River.

Addresses for this lot include: 80 Avenue D; 84 Avenue D; 86 Avenue D; 90 Avenue D; 92 Avenue D; 98 Avenue D; 102 Avenue D; 106 Avenue D; 104 Avenue D; 811 East 6^th Street; 813 East 6^th Street; 817 East 6^th Street; 807 East 6^th Street; 903 East 6^th Street; 9 FDR Drive; 749 FDR Drive; 765 FDR Drive