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the "Core Subdistrict," along both sides of 125th Street between Frederick Douglass Boulevard and 545 feet east of Lenox Avenue/Malcolm X Boulevard.
The Advisory Committee acting on behalf of stakeholders and research have outlined the following goals:
Generate career opportunities for Harlem residents
Strengthen arts and entertainment venues while promoting the streets identity.

Increase visitors and nighttime activity
Encourage more residential use
Increase density in areas that accommodate it while addressing cross-town transportation
Provide a balanced retail mix
New commercial retail, office and hotel space equaling 1.8 million square feet

The Apollo Theater and the Studio Museum are within this area of the corridor. By regulating the use of the ground floor in all the proposed new developments-the city hopes to promote a vibrant pedestrian environment. They would limit the active uses of the ground floor to include restaurants, retail, and entertainment venues located at the ground floor level. Banks would be forbidden from having large lobbies on the ground level. Shop owners won't be allowed to solid roll-down metal grates in front of shops after they close. The proposal includes an amendment to modify sign regulations in this area to allow marquees and signs.

Any new developments in the Core sub-district with 60,000 square feet of floor area or more will be required to leave at least five percent of their total area reserved for qualifying art and entertainment. The following would qualify: book stores, music, dance, or comedy clubs, art galleries, auditoriums, restaurants with table service, public dance halls, historical exhibits, performance spaces, studios for art, dance, music or theater, radio, television or motion picture studios, music stores, and museums.

Amanda Burden is the chairwoman of the Planning Commission has spent time studying the 125th Avenue proposal. "It's one of the most renowned streets in the world, and there was a great time on 125th Street when people came from all over the world to enjoy its night life and culture," she said. "It's not what it was. The city's proposals will help maintain the street's vitality and culture by requiring large developers to set aside ground floor space for arts and entertainment through an incentive program."

Mayor Bloomburg's proposal is being meet with resistance by members of the community trying to preserve the memories of this historical neighborhood. Meanwhile commercial stores are already

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