New York City, New York story
A Community's Pillar
At the intersection of the Bowery, Doyers, and Division Streets, a forty-four story brown brick tower rises above Chinatown. This is Confucius Plaza, completed in 1975. It wasn't…
Read the story
At the intersection of the Bowery, Doyers, and Division Streets, a forty-four story brown brick tower rises above Chinatown. This is Confucius Plaza, completed in 1975. It wasn't just another apartment building; it was the first major publicly funded housing project built almost exclusively for Chinese Americans.
Using the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program, organizers secured the subsidies needed to create affordable homes for neighborhood residents. Today, the tower is regarded as a significant landmark in Chinatown history, anchored by a statue of Confucius sculpted by Liu Shih. It stands as a monument to the community's growth and the fight for stable, affordable housing in the heart of the city.
Updated June 2026