After years of benign neglect, Harlem, New York is now one of the hottest destinations in the city thanks to a revitalization effort that has transformed the area into a commercial oasis. Today, Harlem USA is a much different place compared to it’s hey day when Malcolm X danced at the Renaissance Casino and Billie Holiday sang the blues at the Alhambra Ballroom. There has been a burst of both residential and commercial development. Big name developers and retailers are taking advantage of a $300 million Empowerment Zone package spearheaded by Congressman Charles Rangel. And so Harlem has gotten its groove back. But not everyone is happy. Some fear that the burst of development is shutting out the longtime residents of Harlem. In short, in a few years, some say, not only will Harlem look different but it would have lost its character as a veritable living museum of African American life and culture in the United States.

In this our special look at Harlem, we spoke to three key figures in the real estate industry who have been intricately involved in the revitalization process at various levels. Collectively they represent close to 100 years of experience. Individually, they have each made their footprint in the sands of the Harlem they call home.

Eugene Webb, Carole Griffin and Eugene Giscombe are the “royal trinity” of Harlem’s real estate. They make a complimentary blend of age, experience, knowledge, community activism and a bit of charm thrown in for good measure. But on the issue of Harlem’s future, the “royal trinity” agrees that there is one way to salvation: buy the land and own the properties in which we live. Through their expert eyes and their stories, we look at Harlem USA 2020 and beyond.

EUGUENE H. WEBB … THE LIVING LEGEND

Eugene Webb is the Chairman of Webb & Brooker Real Estate, a company he founded 40 years ago with his partner George Brooker. Like his two younger counterparts whose careers he helped influence, Webb believes that the key to maintaining the cultural flavor of Harlem is for residents to pool resources together and purchase the buildings in which they live. So committed is he to this idea that he advocates it being on the lips of every local politician, preached from the pulpits and taught in the university of the streets. “I have preached this same doctrine every day for the past 40 years,” he says. “Yet people don’t seem to get it — if you want to remain in Harlem, then buy the building in which you live.”

This can be accomplished, he says, by residents of the various housing projects approaching the Housing Authority and indicating their willingness to organize themselves to maintain ownership of their building.

According to Webb, people need to get on the fast track with the changes taking place in Harlem. “Years ago, our social climate was one where everyone wanted to move out to Long Island, buy a little plot of land and wash their cars in the outdoors on Saturdays. But this is no longer the case. Nowadays the younger generation is moving toward a trend of living in an apartment building. So with this development and revitalization taking place in Harlem, the area with its luxury condos is now attractive to a whole different class of people,” he says.

“A lot of our sports stars and entertainers turned entrepreneurs are opening businesses, but not up here,” Webb continued. “It’s unfortunate that those who amass great fortunes through the support of the black community don’t see the value of investing on 125 th Street, and keeping the business in the community.”

Born in Red Level, Alabama, Webb has a storied past from working as a dining car waiter on the railroad to fighting in World War II. One of the most influential figures in Harlem, Webb was part of the group that started the Carver Federal Savings and Loan Bank and the Freedom National Bank. He also serves as a member of the Real Estate Board of New York. “When I first came to Harlem most of the buildings were abandoned and the City was the largest owner of real estate in the area,” he says. “At the same time most of the properties were managed by people who lived outside of the community. “This provided and opportunity for employment and to train another generation of young people in the real estate business.”

With Webb & Brooker emerging as one of the most successful real estate operates in Harlem, the company has earned a reputation for high quality and cost-effective management services, sales, leasing and development.

Webb says he is comfortable with the symbols of progress, which to him as a “fella” from Alabama—used to be the mule and the plough. “Now, it is the tractor,” he says. “But it all adds up to the same thing—progress.”

In his opinion, our concern with the cultural complexion of Harlem will be different 20 years from now. “Our conversation will not be about affordable housing but about who could afford to pay the rent,” Webb says. “And that’s the issue — those who have the dough to pay would be the ones who stay.”

CAROLE N. GRIFFIN . . . THE STRATEGIST

To the critics and skeptics who say that Harlem has been “sold out,” Carole Griffin responds with the advice, “don’t complain; get in the game. Harlem is far from being sold out but it is changing and that makes some people uncomfortable,” she says.

And Griffin, more than anyone else understands “the game.” A native of Harlem, she heads the Griffin Real Estate Group which she started in 2000. But she gained her start and experience in the real estate industry 19 years ago working with the Harlem Community Corporation, a state agency that took city-owned property and turned them into home ownership opportunities. “The revitalization that we are now seeing in Harlem began way back then more than 20 years ago,” she says. “And even though there are now huge private developments in the area, there are still a number of government subsidies available. But it is not just going to fall in our laps,” she says. “We have to be aggressive and position ourselves to take advantage of these opportunities by getting our credit and savings together .”

Wearing her passion for Harlem on her sleeve, Griffin says she enjoys seeing the revitalization of the area and is eager for people to grasp the opportunities that are available. “I was born, raised and have lived in Central Harlem all my life,” she says. “I have seen Harlem in it’s hey days, I have seen it when there was a lot of blight and now I am thoroughly enjoying the revitalization effort. And whether some people see it as good or bad, the fact is, it is going to happen. It is a moving train that cannot be stopped. Therefore, the better choice will be to get on board.”

Griffin’s only concern is losing the “character” of the area. But how do you maintain character without presence? By preparing ourselves to become home owners,” she answers. The good thing about New York City is that it still provides opportunities for subsidized middle and low income purchase of residential properties. But we’ve gotta be part of the process in order to claim a piece of Harlem.

With sales in excess of $1 billion, Griffin has positioned her company as the premier residential real estate development marketing and sales firm in Harlem. Looking 10-20 years into the future, she becomes even more excited about the Harlem in that vision. “Twenty years from now I see a vibrant, bustling Harlem pretty much the way it used to be when I grew up,” she says. “Families are strolling on the weekends and there are choices for top-notch restaurants and clubs. Harlem will be a completely revitalized community, not just in its physical being but in its population as well. And from its enormous multi-cultural base, we are again ranked among the greatest cities in the world.”

EUGENE GISCOMBE . . . THE STATESMAN

Eugene Giscombe, president and CEO of the newly revitalized Giscombe Realty Group LLC lends his powerful voice to the idea of buying into Harlem and the issue of home ownership. “I was brought up to believe that the destiny of a people is controlled by the ownership of the land,” he says. On this premise, he advances the view that this should be the primary focus of the residents of Harlem. “If family, friends and associates are willing to get together and pool their resources, then they can find creative ways of buying the land,” he says. To those that argue that prices are too high, he says: “Next year’s prices will make what we are paying today look like a bargain.”

In his capacity as Chairman of the 125 th Street Business Improvement District, it is no surprise that Giscombe subscribes to the idea that this famous street – renamed after the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—should remain a commercial corridor. In this regard he has testified before the New York City Planning Commission. “One of the things that the public is not aware of is that to place residential housing on 125 th Street would effectively stop the future development of the community,” he says. “For many years 125 th Street was home only to local stores and local building owners. But as the community changed, the strip began attracting large businesses such as Staples and the Disney Store which contributed to the growth of the community. If we are to continue attracting this type of business then it is imperative that we keep residential housing off 125 th Street .”

According to Giscombe, there are very little remaining city-own properties on 125 th Street (In fact, he identifies only two). “The private land use value at this time is $6,600 per sq ft. Any developer paying that kind of price for space on 125 th Street will construct only one kind of property – luxury apartment buildings. This pushes the price over what many in our community can afford,” he says, adding “so essentially we would split our community in half from river to river. This creation of a North Harlem and a South Harlem plays into the hands of the powers that be to promote a divide and conquer rule,” he says.

Proud of the fact that he was born in Harlem Hospital, Giscombe is equally proud of his company’s achievement. For example, last July, the company created history by selling 16 store buildings for$50 million making it the highest sale on 125 th Street.

Looking into the future Giscombe sees Harlem as a mixed community with a dominant African American flavor. “We must recognize that even though whites are moving into Harlem, so too are black professionals who are not just taking up residence,” he says. “They are also opening law offices and medical practices and accounting firms. They are the ones who are going to ensure the future of Black dominance in Harlem for the next 30-40 years.”

Long ago, it took Herculean effort to get people traveling above 96 th Street. Today, Harlem, still considered the “Black Mecca” is the third most visited tourist attraction in the city. And if walls could talk, the stories being told from places like the Victoria and Apollo Theaters and the Audubon Ballroom will fill an entire library. Some people listen to these stories and are filled with hope. Others listen to the din of present-day 125 th Street and are afraid. But maybe, if we also listen with our hearts, we would receive the counsel of Dr. King. In his famous “I Have A Dream: speech, Dr. King lamented… “One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.” But at the same time, he also cautioned his followers not to “wallow in the valley of despair” because there was the comfort of a dream “deeply rooted in the American Dream.” And this Dream is alive…in a place called, Harlem, USA.