MV City Council Candidate Edward Poteat Is Urban Planning Visionary Behind Marcus Garvey Village

Founder of Mount Vernon Independent Business Alliance, Columbia Professor and President of Carthage RE Advisors oversees construction of 50/50 market rate/affordable income rental project highlighting community culture

NEW YORK (April 20, 2021) – For decades, Edward Poteat, a Mount Vernon City Council Candidate endorsed by the Democratic Mount Vernon Forward coalition, has used his urban planning expertise to benefit communities. Through Carthage Real Estate Advisors, the firm he founded in 1999 to provide affordable and workforce housing in the Tri-State region, his newest project celebrates the multi-faceted culture of Harlem.

Marcus Garvey Village, a 300,000-square-foot, 18-story mixed-income rental with 330 residences (of which 50 percent will be designated affordable income), will have features directly benefiting the overall community, such as designated space for the community board (CB10/Manhattan), a rooftop stage and seating for performing artists, and a 20,000-square-foot SGL-LGBTQ Center.

“Marcus Garvey Village will honor Harlem’s diverse, world-renowned heritage,” says Mr. Poteat. “We named the development Marcus Garvey Village in honor of a Black liberation leader who believed Black people should use their own labor and resources to build communities for themselves. The neighborhood will be able to express itself through performance spaces and culturally intelligent environments that offer programs and services for all Harlemites.”

In line with his commitment to supporting communities, Poteat founded the Mount Vernon Independent Business Alliance last April and launched the Buy Local initiative. The organization’s mission is to educate residents on the value of community-based businesses, strengthen the voice of the locally-owned independent business community, and lower tax burdens on home owners by increasing revenue of local businesses.

Poteat has also taught “Affordable Housing Financing” at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture for the past nine years.

“Students finish my courses with an understanding of how contextual urban planning can provide desirable affordable housing,” points out Poteat. “The takeaway is there are resources to build residential projects that provide benefits for everyone. Moreover, I try to convince these bright students to focus on assisting less advantaged communities.”

Once elected, Poteat will gather input from stakeholders to deliver a comprehensive development plan that will benefit Mount Vernon’s current residents by stabilizing the city’s economy.

Marcus Garvey Village broke ground in November 2020. The projected date of completion is fall 2022. The affordable income apartments will be made available to qualified residents through an HPD lottery in early 2022.

Poteat is running for the Mount Vernon City Council alongside Danielle Browne and Cathlin Gleason. Mount Vernon’s Democratic Primary Election will be held on June 22, 2021.