East Harlem Supportive Housing Development: Construction Update #2

Construction on our 50-apartment, long-term housing development at 123rd Street in East Harlem continues. The first complete floor is scheduled to be handed over to us with a temporary certificate of occupancy in mid-October. The entire building will be operational and fully occupied by the end of the year. Check out the pictures below to see the progress.

The bricks are being installed on the exterior of the building as interior walls are going up. Below is a close up of the front façade brick and cast stone details.



Scaffolding has been erected at the rear façade the entire height of the building to facilitate masonry and cast stone detail. After that is complete, the windows will be installed.

Here's a video of the scaffolding being erected.

Framing and plumbing work being completed on the first floor and the cellar.

The interior of an apartment. All of the electical work is done and phone/data/cable connections have been installed by Time Warner Cable and Verizon. The walls have been closed up and priming/painting to begin shortly.

The bathtubs are in place and tiling has started.

For more information about the building, as well as photos from the July 2007 groundbreaking ceremony, please click here.

National drug czar visits Edgecombe

R. Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), visited the Edgecombe Residential Treatment Facility in Harlem last week. Kerlikowske met with Odyssey House officials and commissioners from the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), Department of Correctional Services, Division of Parole and Division of Criminal Justice Services to discuss alternatives to incarceration for non-violent drug offenders.

Odyssey House strongly supports such measures – last year, we were selected to run the Edgecombe program, which provides intensive services to parole detainees with the aim of returning them to their communities and engaging them in further addiction treatment. Dr. Peter Provet, president and CEO of Odyssey House, said, “Odyssey House is pleased to bring a cutting-edge, intensive clinical intervention to a population at high risk of relapse. Addiction is now recognized as a chronic relapsing disorder - this innovative program is treating relapse instead of punishing it."

Read the full press release for more on Director Kerlikowske’s visit.

Odyssey House Theatre Project debuts on Broadway!

Last month, the Odyssey House Theatre Project made its Broadway debut at the Studio Theatre on 42nd Street. The ensemble performed "Shape the Dream," a collection of 15 original plays, for two packed audiences.

The ensemble was comprised of 10 teens in treatment at Odyssey House. The teens participated in a three-month workshop, funded by a grant from the Elizabeth and Barets O. Benjamin Foundation, where they participated in all stages of the playwriting process, from concept development to stage production.

The workshop was led by Tom Demenkoff and Lori Parquet of City Lights Youth Theatre. For details on the project, including a blog chronicling the teens' incredible journey, visit the Odyssey House Theatre Project website.

The ensemble takes a bow after an inspiring performance.

Members of the ensemble with Odyssey House president Dr. Peter Provet (back row, third from left), Broadway actor Norm Lewis (far right) and City Lights teaching staff.

OHTP special guest artist Norm Lewis, center.

The ensemble presents OHTP director Tom Demenkoff with a special gift.

Members of the Odyssey House Boards of Trustees. Left to right, Rick O'Connor, Craig Montalbano, George Rosenfeld, Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet, Grant Miller, Ron Mitchell (back row), Dr. Robert Mitchell and Steve Gross.

For more photos, click here.