A long-planned vision for Harlem became reality Wednesday with the opening of the Urban League Empowerment Center, a $242 million, 414,000-square-foot hub that blends housing, history, and hope on 125th Street.

The project, led by the National Urban League, brings the organization’s national headquarters back to Harlem, the neighborhood where the League rose to prominence more than a century ago.

The center also includes the forthcoming Urban Civil Rights Museum, 171 affordable housing units, a conference center, nonprofit office space, and ground-floor retail anchored by national chains such as Trader Joe’s and Target.

“This is what inclusive development should look like,” NUL CEO Marc Morial. "For those who say it cannot be done — come to Harlem.”

Among those attending the ribbon-cut

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