All articles by Devin Gannon

Plan released for a seven-building, 800+ unit affordable development in Brownsville

Rendering via L+M and Curtis+Ginsberg Architects

June 26, 2018

Plan released for a seven-building, 800+ unit affordable development in Brownsville

Plans for a seven-building affordable housing development in Brooklyn's Brownsville were released this week, as part of the city's revitalization effort in the neighborhood. As part of the "Brownsville Plan," the proposed project includes eight-to nine-story residential buildings with new retail and community space along Livonia Avenue. The project would extend the existing Marcus Garvey Apartments, a housing complex built in the mid-1970s that currently has many underutilized parking lots (h/t YIMBY). Overall, the more than 900,000-square-foot development will bring over 840 affordable apartments, currently estimated to be set aside for New Yorkers earning 80 percent or below the area median income.
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June 26, 2018

NYC needs to invest nearly $6B over the next decade to fix aging park infrastructure, report says

By Devin Gannon

Photo via Geoff Stearns on Flickr A report released Tuesday by the Center for an Urban Future found that while city parks are seeing record use by the public, officials have underinvested in their basic maintenance and infrastructure for decades. The average city park underwent its last major renovation in 1997, despite being on average 73 years old. The think-tank estimates an investment of $5.8 billion over the next decade is needed to address the repair and replacement of existing infrastructure, a number which does not include the cost of constructing new structures. "The subway system isn’t the only vital piece of infrastructure in New York that is aging and in need of investment,” Jonathan Bowles, executive director of CUF, said in a statement. "Parks in every borough are experiencing infrastructure problems brought by age and magnified by record usage and decades of under-investment in parks maintenance."
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June 25, 2018

New renderings and a 2022 deadline for Cuomo’s AirTrain to LaGuardia

By Devin Gannon

Via Governor Cuomo's office Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday signed legislation that jumpstarts the construction of the AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport by letting the state use eminent domain to secure land for the project. Passed by the state legislature last week, the bill permits the state to acquire parcels of land already owned by the City or MTA between Willets Point and the airport, allowing the train to run along Grand Central Parkway. LGA is the only major airport on the East Coast without a rail connection, with 86 percent of travelers using cars to access it. "How can you not have a rail train to the city from a New York airport? I mean, it's just incomprehensible, right?" Cuomo said at the bill signing event. According to the governor's office, the train could bring passengers via the 7-train or LIRR trains between Midtown and the airport within 30 minutes.
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PHOTOS: NYC’s first LGBTQ monument opens in Greenwich Village

Photo by Tia Richards for 6sqft

June 25, 2018

PHOTOS: NYC’s first LGBTQ monument opens in Greenwich Village

By Devin Gannon

New York's first public monument to the LGBTQ community opened Sunday in the Greenwich Village, a historically significant neighborhood for the gay rights movement. Located in Hudson River Park and designed by local artist Anthony Goicolea, the monument honors the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, as well as all victims of hate and violence. "This memorial saddens us, when we think about the Orlando 49 senseless deaths, but it also enlightens us, and it also inspires us," Cuomo said on Sunday. "It inspires New Yorkers to do what New Yorkers have always done - what Anthony was referring to: to push forward, to keep going forward on that journey until we reach the destination that the Statue of Liberty promised in the first place."
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June 25, 2018

Roast, record, repeat: How Toby’s Estate brews the perfect cup of coffee at its Brooklyn cafe and roastery

By Devin Gannon

6sqft’s series “Where I Work” takes us into the studios, offices, and off-beat workspaces of New Yorkers across the city. In this installment, we’re touring the Williamsburg cafe and roastery of Toby's Estate Coffee. Want to see your business featured here? Get in touch! When you walk into Toby’s Estate Coffee, the smell of freshly brewed coffee hits you immediately. And thanks to the towering roasting machine in the back of the Williamsburg coffee shop (which roasts about 50 lbs of coffee at a time), the sweet-bitter aroma really lingers. While the location on North 6th Street between Berry Street and Bedford Avenue was the first Toby’s in New York City, the coffee connoisseurs have since sprouted to other boroughs, with three cafes in Manhattan and most recently one in Long Island City. Toby’s, which originated in Australia, has served up specialty small-batch coffee in NYC since 2012, bringing in some eclectic flavors to their roster of roasts. Currently, the shop is offering a Citron Espresso Tonic, with tonic water, ice, handmade citron simple syrup and candied oranges. (We tried it. It was delicious.) On an unseasonably warm day this spring, Toby's gave 6sqft a tour of its Brooklyn shop, which boasts enough square footage to fit its roastery and cafe, as well as plenty of seating. Ahead, see inside the sunlight-filled flagship space and hear from Toby's staff on their "roast, record, taste, adjust, and repeat" process that brews the perfect cup of coffee.
See the cafe and learn more about the roasting process

New renderings and details for Perkins Eastman’s 730-foot tower at controversial Two Bridges site

259 Clinton Street via Perkins Eastman

June 25, 2018

New renderings and details for Perkins Eastman’s 730-foot tower at controversial Two Bridges site

By Devin Gannon

Additional details and a new rendering have been unveiled this week for a 62-story Lower East Side skyscraper designed by Perkins Eastman Architects, nearly two years after 6sqft first wrote about the project. Located at 259 Clinton Street, the tower is a part of a controversial three-building project coming to the waterfront of the Two Bridges neighborhood. According to YIMBY, latest plans for 259 Clinton Street, developed by Starret Development, call for a 730-foot tower, slightly higher than an earlier 724-foot proposal.
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June 22, 2018

Two affordable one-bedrooms in Bed-Stuy up for grabs for $985/month

By Devin Gannon

Photo via CityRealty Act quickly: Just two one-bedroom apartments are available at a new rental building in Brookyln's Bed-Stuy neighborhood. The rental at 88 Hart Street sits between Marcy and Tompkins Avenues and only a few blocks from the Kosciuszko Pool and the Herbert Von King Park, a historic green space designed by Frederick Law Olmsted that also has a cultural arts center. Plus, the building includes a laundry room. New Yorkers who earn 60 percent of the area median income, or between $33,772 and $50,100 annually, can apply for the affordable $985/month one-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Construction well underway for interactive LGBTQ monument in Greenwich Village

Rendering by Anthony Goicolea via Gov. Cuomo’s office

June 21, 2018

Construction well underway for interactive LGBTQ monument in Greenwich Village

By Devin Gannon

A monument to the LGBTQ community is taking shape in Hudson River Park along the Greenwich Village waterfront. Last year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo chose Brooklyn-based artist Anthony Goicolea to design the monument, aimed at honoring both the LGBT rights movement and the victims of the 2016 Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting. Although the Hudson River Park Trust told 6sqft an opening date of the installation isn't known yet, Urban Omnibus reported the monument is expected to be completed this month, coinciding with Pride Month.
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June 21, 2018

Help preserve the untold stories of the Stonewall Riots by donating personal photos, letters

By Devin Gannon

Via Wikimedia Did you participate in the Stonewall Inn Riots of 1969 and the period of LGBTQ activism in New York City between 1968 and 1971? Do you know someone who did? If so, consider contributing pride memorabilia from that moment in history to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, which is compiling a collection to preserve the history of Stonewall. The project, Stonewall Forever, launched last year after Google granted the LGBT Center $1 million to preserve oral histories and experiences of those present during the riots.
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History

June 20, 2018

The city wants you to nominate historic NYC women who deserve a public monument

By Devin Gannon

Statue of Eleanor Roosevelt on Riverside Drive is just one of a handful of monuments to women in NYC; via Wikimedia City officials announced on Wednesday an initiative aimed at bringing more commemorations of historic New York City women to public spaces. First lady Chirlane McCray and Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen are seeking ideas of women or events in women's history that should be honored with monuments. The Department of Cultural Affairs has committed up to $10 million for the program, called She Built NYC!. "This is a first step to creating a public art collection that more accurately represents the diversity of New York City's history," McCray told NY1.
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Preservationists, architects urge LPC to landmark Philip Johnson’s AT&T Building

By Devin Gannon

During a nearly two-hour public hearing on Tuesday, passionate preservationists, architects, and community groups testified in front of the Landmarks Preservation Commission in support of designating the postmodern skyscraper at 550 Madison Avenue as an individual landmark. Best known as the AT&T Building, the 37-story tower was designed by Philip Johnson, along with his partner John Burgee, and completed in 1984. As postmodernism's first skyscraper, 550 Madison has stood out for its pink-gray granite facade, arched entryway and Chippendale-inspired crown. A wide range of people on Tuesday voiced support for giving 550 Madison landmark designation, including architectural critic Paul Goldberger. In his testimony, Goldberger cited his own 1978 New York Times review of the building, before it was built, when he called the AT&T Building "a major monument" of postmodernism and "the most provocative and daring skyscraper to be proposed for New York since the Chrysler Building."
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Policy

David Adjaye reveals interiors for luxury FiDi condo, his first NYC tower

Renderings by Binyan

June 19, 2018

David Adjaye reveals interiors for luxury FiDi condo, his first NYC tower

By Devin Gannon

With construction officially underway at 130 William Street and sales launching for the 244 condos later this month, Sir David Adjaye hosted an event last night to reveal the interiors of his 800-foot Financial District tower. And they're just as chic as expected, with finishes made from materials sourced from all over the world and hardware designed by the starchitect himself. Adjaye Associates collaborated with Hill West Architects on the project. "In defining the design for 130 William, I not only sought to celebrate New York City’s heritage of masonry architecture, referencing the historical architecture once pervasive upon one of the city’s earliest streets," Adjaye said. "However, and more importantly, 130 William has been crafted to focus on the new possibilities of urban, vertical living."
See the renderings here

Reaching over 1,000 feet, 35 Hudson Yards tops out as the mega-project’s tallest residential building

Construction photo via CityRealty

June 19, 2018

Reaching over 1,000 feet, 35 Hudson Yards tops out as the mega-project’s tallest residential building

By Devin Gannon

The first residential supertall to rise at the Hudson Yards mega-project officially topped out this week at 1,009 feet. Developed by Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group, 35 Hudson Yards rises 72 floors and is now considered the ninth tallest structure in New York City, YIMBY reported. Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) designed the 1.1 million-square-foot mixed-use tower, which will accommodate 137 private residences, an Equinox-branded hotel and fitness club, office space and ground-floor retail.
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100+ affordable apartments up for grabs at a South Bronx passive house, from $702/month

Rendering via Curtis + Ginsberg Architects

June 18, 2018

100+ affordable apartments up for grabs at a South Bronx passive house, from $702/month

By Devin Gannon

Located between East 151st and 153rd Streets, a 15-story affordable rental is now accepting applications for a whopping 107 units. Dubbed Park Avenue Green, the South Bronx building at 2980 Park Avenue is the second phase of a multi-phase housing project. Designed by Curtis + Ginsberg Architects, the building includes 154 apartments and a 4,300-square-foot community facility. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 50, 60 and 80 percent of the area median income can apply for the units ranging from a $702/month studio to a $1,823/month three-bedroom.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

June 18, 2018

Live in an affordable three-bedroom near Brooklyn College in Flatbush for $1,279/month

By Devin Gannon

Via NYC HPD An eight-story affordable rental building in Flatbush is offering up seven three-bedroom apartments for just $1,279/month. Located at 1345 Rogers Avenue, just a short walk from Brooklyn College, Crystal Towers contains 91,100 square feet of residential space with a total of 123 apartments. Residents will have access to amenities like an on-site super, a rear garden, bike storage and on-site laundry. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for the seven $1,279/month three-bedroom apartments.
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Affordable Housing

June 18, 2018

Michael Cohen’s inlaws list three condos at Trump World Tower amid legal battle

By Devin Gannon

Photo of Michael Cohen via Wikimedia; listing photo via Trump International Realty As President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, faces mounting legal fees, his family is looking to sell three condominium units at a 72-story Trump building in Manhattan. Bloomberg reported Friday that Cohen's father-in-law Fima Shusterman wants to sell three apartments he owns in Trump World Tower at 845 United Nations Plaza. Just two of the units are listed on the Trump International Realty website: a three-bedroom unit, 57B, for $6.7 million and a two-bedroom unit, 42A, for $4.5 million. Not listed but still for sale, the family's 43rd-floor apartment was purchased in 2003 for $1.85 million, but the current price is not yet known.
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Policy

June 15, 2018

Snag a one-bedroom at a passive house in Washington Heights, from $1,650/month

By Devin Gannon

A newly constructed rental that meets passive house standards has launched a lottery for six middle-income apartments in Washington Heights. Designed by PM Architecture, the Uptown six-story building contains 20 units and boasts a facade of charcoal-painted insulated panels. Located at 577 West 161st Street, the building will have a medical office on its first floor, residences above it, and an outdoor recreation space in the back. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the $1,650/month and $1,800/month one-bedroom apartments.
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Affordable Housing

Construction kicks off on Dattner Architects’ nine-story Brooklyn Navy Yard building

Rendering via Steiner NYC

June 14, 2018

Construction kicks off on Dattner Architects’ nine-story Brooklyn Navy Yard building

By Devin Gannon

Just six months after filing permits for a nine-story mixed-use building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, city officials and developers broke ground Wednesday on 399 Sands Street. Designed by Dattner Architects, the building will feature a parking structure on four levels, four floors of manufacturing space and one floor for creative office space. The construction of 399 Sands Street is a key part of the Navy Yard's $1 billion expansion, overseen by Steiner Equities Group, which will add $2 million square feet. Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen also announced Wednesday a $40 million investment from the city to fund 230,000 square feet of leasable space above the parking area. "New York City grew up around the Brooklyn Navy Yard - and thanks to the City’s $40 million New York Works investment in 399 Sands Street, the Yard will continue to fuel growth, and provide manufacturing and creative jobs for generations to come," Glen said in a statement.
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First look at the latest huge residential project proposed for Greenpoint’s waterfront

Rendering posted on the construction fence

June 14, 2018

First look at the latest huge residential project proposed for Greenpoint’s waterfront

By Devin Gannon

On the site immediately south of the former Greenpoint Terminal Market, which was destroyed in a massive fire in 2006, three high-rise buildings are planned, containing hundreds of apartments. As of now, Halcyon Management Group has filed permits for a 19-story, 234-unit tower at 29 West Street, a 14-story, 92-unit tower at 37 West Street and a 33-story, 410-unit tower at 65 Private Drive. CityRealty recently uncovered the first renderings of the Brooklyn project, which show a total of four towers, with two 400-foot towers overlooking the East River, and two smaller buildings situated further inland. SLCE Architects is listed as the architect of record for the three buildings filed.
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June 12, 2018

3 middle-income units up for grabs in a quiet section of Flushing in Queens, from $1,700/month

By Devin Gannon

Photo via Wikimedia A newly constructed four-story residential building in Murray Hill is now accepting applications for three middle-income units. But it's not the Murray Hill of Manhattan you know, but instead a quiet enclave in Queens, part of the sprawling neighborhood of Flushing. Found at 168-05 Depot Road, the rental sits just four blocks from the Long Island Rail Road station at Broadway. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the $1,700/month one-bedroom and two $1,950/month two-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

Lottery launches for 21 middle-income units at a new luxury rental in Jamaica Estates from $1,480/month

Photo via A&R Properties Group and TCX Development

June 11, 2018

Lottery launches for 21 middle-income units at a new luxury rental in Jamaica Estates from $1,480/month

By Devin Gannon

A newly constructed building in the upper-middle-class enclave of Jamaica Estates in Queens (aka President Donald Trump's hometown) is accepting applications for 21 mixed-income apartments. Dubbed the Maya, the eight-story luxury rental at 177-30 Wexford Terrace contains 68 units. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 85, 90, 100, 105, 110 and 115 percent of the area median income can apply for the units ranging from a $1,480/month studio to a $2,622/month two-bedroom.
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Affordable Housing

June 8, 2018

Live in the Bronx for just $1,100/month and get to Midtown in 40 minutes

By Devin Gannon

Photo by Axel Drainville on Flickr Three middle-income units are up for grabs at a newly constructed building in the East Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx. Located at 1779 Weeks Avenue, the rental sits just steps from the B and D train, making Midtown commutes a breeze. Plus, residents can enjoy open space, playgrounds and a public pool at Claremont Park, which is just a few blocks south. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for one $1,100/studio and two $1,300/month one-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

East Harlem’s affordable Sendero Verde complex gets fresh renderings and a 384-unit mixed-use tower

Rendering courtesy of Handel Architects

June 8, 2018

East Harlem’s affordable Sendero Verde complex gets fresh renderings and a 384-unit mixed-use tower

By Devin Gannon

Permits have been filed for a 37-story, 384-unit tower in East Harlem as part of Sendero Verde, a massive mixed-use complex developed by Jonathan Rose Companies and L + M Development. The site's newest building is set to rise at 1681 Madison Avenue and measure just over 385,000 square feet. Floors five through 36 of the Handel Architects-designed building will contain 12 apartments each; offices and retail space will occupy the first three levels, as CityRealty learned. A fresh pair of renderings of Sendero Verde highlights the winding central landscaped path, nonprofit DREAM's charter school and the extensive community space planned for the development.
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Affordable Housing

June 8, 2018

Deal struck to fund discounted MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers

By Devin Gannon

Image by Ged Carroll on Flickr Reduced-fare MetroCards may soon become a reality for low-income straphangers, as Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council have reached a deal Wednesday to provide roughly $100 million in funding to the program. The mayor's agreement with Speaker Corey Johnson, who has been one of the most vocal supporters of a Fair Fares program, means the city would fully subsidize the cost of providing half-price MetroCards to New Yorkers who fall below the federal poverty line, or a household income of $25,000 for a family of four. Nearly 800,000 New Yorkers could benefit from the discounted fares. Under the tentative deal, the city would allocate $106 million in its upcoming budget, which would pay for six months of the program beginning in January, according to the New York Times.
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How the cardboard box was accidentally invented in a NYC factory

55 Washington Street in 1907, courtesy of the Skyscaper Museum

June 7, 2018

How the cardboard box was accidentally invented in a NYC factory

By Devin Gannon

New Yorkers are known for their innovative thinking: Inventions like Scrabble, credit cards, and even Baked Alaska all came from local creators. A little less exciting, but still a crucial contraption, the cardboard box was also invented in New York City. Like many discoveries, the box came to be only after a careless mistake. Scottish-born entrepreneur Robert Gair owned a paper bag factory on Reade Street in Manhattan. One day in 1879, a pressman accidentally cut through thousands of small seed bags, instead of pressing them. Following the accident, Gair, who moved headquarters to Dumbo, developed a method for the mass production of cardboard boxes and later supplied major companies like Kellogg and Nabisco.
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History

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