[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 378-379] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE 1270 FIFTH AVENUE RESIDENTS AS THEIR COOPERATIVE MARKS ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY ______ HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL of new york in the house of representatives Wednesday, January 20, 2010 Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1270 Fifth Avenue Cooperative in my Congressional District. 1270 has the distinction of being the first middle-income co-op in my and surrounding Congressional Districts and the only residential co-op in Manhattan that is a cooperative nonprofit corporation. Incorporated on August 8, 1957, under the New York State Cooperative Corporations Law, the building was constructed with a stream of funding from Section 213 of Title II of the National Housing Act. The $4.5 million dollar mortgage held by the Federal Housing Administration has since matured in November of 1999. Despite the neighborhood's initial negative reaction to 1270s construction, there was a tremendous demand for the apartments. At a time when segregated housing in Manhattan was still the norm, 1270, which was unrestricted regardless of race, gender, or creed, and priced for middle-income residents, was seen by minorities and liberal-minded folks as a desirable place to live. By November 1959 when the building first opened for occupancy, 194 of the 201 available units had been sold. The remaining seven apartments were sold and occupied by July 1961. Making history for 1270 had its difficult moments. A board of directors was quickly elected in order to tackle problems as they surfaced. Throughout the years of struggle to establish and maintain a viable middle-income cooperative in East Harlem, the families and individuals at 1270 held together through a tremendous sense of home and community. Men and women who arrived as young adults lived and raised their children, and grew old here. Neighbors became lifelong friends and took care of each other. There is no better measure of 1270's success than the fact that people who move [[Page 379]] there, stay there. Of the 201 shareholders, 69 percent have been there for more than 10 years; 44 percent for more than 20 years; 35 percent for more than 30 years; and 17 percent for more than 40 years. The average length of residency is 21.6 years. 1270 was and continues to be called home by multiple celebrities and other notables, including: Odetta, internationally celebrated folk singer; James Dumpson, former commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Welfare; Elaine Jones, former executive director of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund; Verne Oliver, former headmaster of New Lincoln School; Debbie Allen, television and stage actress; Phylicia Rashad, television and stage actress; Charles Henry Alston, internationally acclaimed artist; Ruth Slenczynska, internationally acclaimed concert pianist; Gus Trowbridge, founder of Manhattan Country School; Lois Small, founder of senior dance group, ``The Steppers''; the family of Ralph Bunche, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; the family of Harry Belafonte, singer; and the family of Johnny Mathis, singer. 1270 has not only survived, but it has thrived through the years. Current neighborhood beautification projects have magnificently transformed the setting of the building's home. 1270 faces the Harlem Meer section of New York City's Central Park and the Conservatory Gardens, which have been restored and maintained with an endowment. The on-site Museum of African Art adds a part of the building to New York's Museum Mile. Sightseeing buses now regularly stop in the neighborhood for tours. Madam Speaker, on the occasion of 1270's 50th anniversary, as we look back on the successes of the National Housing Act, we can all feel a sense of pride. For many long-time residents, the soul of this section 213 building can never be separated from its historic roots. ____________________