Policy

Cuomo announces $10M in infrastructure and arts upgrades for the South Bronx

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

July 5, 2018

Cuomo announces $10M in infrastructure and arts upgrades for the South Bronx

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We've been keeping up with the booming development plans unfolding in the South Bronx, from a massive waterfront complex in the works to the city's first soccer stadium. Today Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced specific plans for a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) award that underscores the momentum happening in what he called "the heart of the bustling Bronx." The strategic investments are part of the governor's ongoing efforts to revitalize the Bronx and create more opportunities in the Bronx Civic Center Downtown neighborhood. The funds will be used for 12 transformational projects in the South Bronx.
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Billionaires’ Row coalition sues NYC to keep homeless men out of their neighborhood
July 3, 2018

Billionaires’ Row coalition sues NYC to keep homeless men out of their neighborhood

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Image © 6sqft A group of New Yorkers who live near Billionaires' Row, an area with some of the most expensive residences in the world, filed a lawsuit on Monday to block a homeless shelter from opening in the Midtown West neighborhood. The West 58th Street Coalition sued New York City to stop the conversion of the old Park Savoy Hotel at 158 West 58th Street into a homeless shelter for men, a plan announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio in February. The coalition claims the shelter, which would house 140 single men, would have "an enormous impact on our densely populated, narrow, high-pedestrian-traffic street." While describing themselves as a group of "compassionate New Yorkers," the Change.org petition says instead of the city paying $50,000 per person to stay at the Park Savoy, "a homeless man could have his own apartment, living in the neighborhood where he came from." The new shelter sits behind One57, a known for the city’s most expensive residential sale ever: a penthouse that sold for $100 million in 2015.
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MTA launches streamlined app that provides service updates in real time

Via MTA on Flickr

July 2, 2018

MTA launches streamlined app that provides service updates in real time

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After a six-month development process, which included working with over 2,000 commuters, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority launched on Monday a smartphone app that offers real-time updates for the subway, buses and trains, as well as trip planning options and service updates. Because the app, called MyMTA, is a beta version, the MTA is asking for feedback from straphangers about the app's functions and what needs to be added or improved. The authority also gave their website a much-needed upgrade, with a more sleeker web interface.
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City says work can resume on Sutton Place’s controversial 800-foot tower

Proposed massing of the tower, via CityRealty

June 27, 2018

City says work can resume on Sutton Place’s controversial 800-foot tower

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A relatively staid neighborhood, things are heating up at the Upper East Side’s Sutton Place, again. Last December, 6sqft reported that Gamma Real Estate had to stop work on Sutton 58, their proposed 800-foot residential tower. After three years of community protest over what many consider an out-of-context supertall building, the New York City Council spoke loudly (with a 45-0 vote) and approved a height rezoning of 10 blocks between 51st and 59th Streets east of First Avenue. The rezoning required 45 to 50 percent of a building should rise below 150 feet. This was a huge blow to Gamma and would require massive changes to their plans. Most immediately, it required a halt of construction on the project. But that just changed.
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Landmarks approves Frick expansion plan despite protests from preservationists
June 27, 2018

Landmarks approves Frick expansion plan despite protests from preservationists

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All renderings courtesy of Beyer Blinder Belle and Selldorf Architects On Tuesday the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the most recent plan submitted by the museum for the expansion and renovation of the 1914 Gilded Age mansion it calls home in a 6 to 1 vote with one abstention, the New York Times reports. Three prior attempts by the museum in a quest to gain more space for exhibitions and programs were turned back amid vocal protests by neighborhood advocates and preservationists. The revised plan submitted by the project's architects Beyer Blinder Belle and Annabelle Selldorf includes the decision to restore the museum's original gated garden, which had been a point of controversy with those opposed to the project.
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Rent stabilized apartments will see increases of 1.5 and 2.5 percent this year

Photo courtesy of the MET Council on Housing

June 27, 2018

Rent stabilized apartments will see increases of 1.5 and 2.5 percent this year

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Last night the Rent Guidelines Board approved rent hikes for tenants in rent-stablized buildings, making this the second year rents for such units have increased. This latest vote by the board allows landlords to charge their rent-stabilized tenants increases of up to 1.5 percent for one-year leases and 2.5 percent for two-year leases. As the New York Times points out today, "the increases were seen as modest given the history of the nine-member board." Still, these are the steepest permitted increases since 2013 -- news met with jeers from housing advocates at a public hearing held at Cooper Union.
Here more about what's in store
New Historic District more than doubles the landmarked buildings in Boerum Hill
June 26, 2018

New Historic District more than doubles the landmarked buildings in Boerum Hill

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In a vote today, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Boerum Hill Historic District Extension. The 288-building district is split into three distinct sections, all adjacent to the existing 250-building Boerum Hill Historic District that was designated in 1973. According to an LPC press release, the extension "represents the diverse cultural and economic history of Boerum Hill, as well as its largely intact 19th-century architecture." It's mostly residential blocks, made up of late 19th-century brownstone and brick townhouses, along with a block-and-a-half commercial stretch of Atlantic Avenue.
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NYC needs to invest nearly $6B over the next decade to fix aging park infrastructure, report says
June 26, 2018

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

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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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14th Street to become an all-day ‘busway,’ get new bike lanes during L train shutdown

 L train photo via Wiki Commons

June 26, 2018

14th Street to become an all-day ‘busway,’ get new bike lanes during L train shutdown

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6sqft previously reported on the city's plans to provide alternatives to the L train during the 2019 shutdown for repairs in the Canarsie Tunnel under the East River and the reaction of community groups affected by the planned changes. A coalition of West Side neighborhood groups fearing disruptions from buses, bike lanes and other changes sued the agencies tasked with implementing the L train alternatives. Now the New York Daily News reports that according to court documents, 14th street will become a "busway" for 17 hours each day–among other strategies–to limit car traffic during the shutdown.
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New renderings and a 2022 deadline for Cuomo’s AirTrain to LaGuardia
June 25, 2018

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

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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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How preservationists and Jackie O got the supreme court to save Grand Central Terminal in 1978

Grand Central Terminal Lobby via Wikipedia

June 21, 2018

How preservationists and Jackie O got the supreme court to save Grand Central Terminal in 1978

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On June 26th, 1978, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a momentous decision that wouldn't just save a cherished New York landmark, it would establish the NYC Landmarks Law for years to come. This drawn-out court battle was the result of a plan, introduced in the late 1960s, to demolish a significant portion of Grand Central Terminal and erect a 50-story office tower. Though the proposal may seem unthinkable now, it wasn't at the time. Pennsylvania Station had been demolished a few years earlier, with the owners citing rising costs to upkeep the building as train ridership sharply declined. The NYC Landmarks Law was only established in 1965, the idea of preservation still novel in a city practicing wide-scale urban renewal. Finally, Grand Central wasn't in good shape itself, falling apart, covered in grime, and home to one of the highest homeless populations in New York City. But a dedicated group of preservationists--aided by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis--took the fight to the highest levels of the court. Keep reading to find out how, as well as learn about the celebrations planned by the MTA surrounding the anniversary.
Here's how Grand Central was saved
The city wants you to nominate historic NYC women who deserve a public monument
June 20, 2018

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

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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
June 20, 2018

Preservationists, architects urge LPC to landmark Philip Johnson’s AT&T Building

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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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NYC’s new housing lottery guidelines will help vulnerable and low-income New Yorkers
June 19, 2018

NYC’s new housing lottery guidelines will help vulnerable and low-income New Yorkers

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Finding and applying for affordable housing in New York city can be a challenge for anyone. The application process can be confusing and daunting for those who need it most. Today the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and Housing Development Corporation (HDC) announced new guidelines for the process that are intended to help provide access for low-income residents and protect people who have survived domestic abuse.
Find out about the new guidelines
Michael Cohen’s inlaws list three condos at Trump World Tower amid legal battle
June 18, 2018

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

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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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The slow death of the MetroCard begins next spring

Photo via Phil Hollenback/Flickr

June 14, 2018

The slow death of the MetroCard begins next spring

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It’s the end of an era but one that might not be too sentimental. As of May 2019, the MTA is launching its new fare payment method for the 4, 5, and 6 lines and all bus routes on Staten Island, reports amNY. No more steel bars karate chopping your abdomen when you realize your MetroCard is out of credit. Starting next spring, riders can use credit cards, mobile phones, smart watches, and mobile wallets to travel... but you'll still be able to swipe your old MetroCard until 2023.
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NYC commits $500M in plan to build thousands of affordable apartments for seniors on unused land

Photo via Wiki Commons

June 13, 2018

NYC commits $500M in plan to build thousands of affordable apartments for seniors on unused land

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As part of the new city budget, New York City has committed $500 million toward a plan to construct thousands of new apartments for low-income senior citizens on vacant public housing land, the Wall Street Journal reports. The new units would also free up existing NYCHA units currently occupied by seniors for people currently on wait lists for housing.
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Approved $89B NYC budget includes discounted transit fares for low-income riders

Image by Ged Carroll on Flickr

June 12, 2018

Approved $89B NYC budget includes discounted transit fares for low-income riders

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Mayor Bill de Blasio reached an agreement with City Council Speaker Corey Johnson on a new city budget, the New York Times reports. The $89.2 billion budget includes funding for discounted MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers. 6sqft reported last week on the deal struck between the mayor and the city council to provide about $100 million to fund the program. Johnson has been a tenacious and vocal supporter of the Fair Fares program, in which the city will 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. The initial allocation in the budget will pay for six months of the program beginning in January, with further financing will be forthcoming in future budgets.
Find out more about Fair Fares
City reaches settlement, agrees to spend $2B on NYCHA improvements after federal probe

Photo via Wikimedia

June 11, 2018

City reaches settlement, agrees to spend $2B on NYCHA improvements after federal probe

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New York City has agreed to fork over $2 billion in the next 10 years to settle a federal prosecutors’ investigation into safety and health issues at buildings run by the by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the Wall Street Journal reports. The city has been ordered to repair buildings run by the country's largest city housing authority after an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s District Office, which began in 2015, checked reports of crumbling conditions across the authority's 325 developments.
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Deal struck to fund discounted MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers
June 8, 2018

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

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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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Interactive tool tracks the declining affordability of New York City

Phoo via CC0 License

June 6, 2018

Interactive tool tracks the declining affordability of New York City

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Between 2005 and 2016, the cost of basic needs like housing, transit, food and healthcare has grown at twice the rate of incomes in New York City, according to a new report released by City Comptroller Scott Stringer on Monday. Stringer's office created a first-of-its-kind Affordability Index to track how much money New Yorkers have left over after taxes and basic expenses. The numbers are not comforting. The report found that single adults living in NYC had just $641 leftover after taxes and basic expenses in 2016, compared to $831 a decade ago. "Over the last decade, the money that New Yorkers could be putting away – for retirement, for college, or even for a simple family night out – has been shrinking," Stringer said in a press release. "Our growing affordability crisis is making it harder for families to enjoy a basic middle-class lifestyle – and is forcing them to choose between staying in New York City and leaving."
Explore the index
City unveils plan to keep fashion industry in the Garment District

Photo via via Alexandra Ferguson

June 5, 2018

City unveils plan to keep fashion industry in the Garment District

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The city released on Monday a plan to preserve at least 300,000 square feet of production space in the Garment District for the fashion industry by providing tax breaks for owners who lease manufacturing space. While the district, bound by 35th and 40th Streets and Broadway and Ninth Avenue, was once home to hundreds of thousands of fashion jobs, it has lost 85 percent of firms in the last three decades. In addition to the tax incentives, the plan creates a new zoning rule that would help limit the construction of hotels by introducing a special permit. The Garment Center IDA program, backed by City Hall, the city's Economic Development Corporation, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and industry leaders, also includes lifting previous protections from a 1987 mandate that preserves millions of square feet of apparel-production space on certain side streets. According to the Wall Street Journal, if the plan is approved by the city council, owners would be allowed to convert buildings to other uses, like offices.
More here
City sells million-dollar homes in Bed-Stuy to 10 families for roughly half price
June 4, 2018

City sells million-dollar homes in Bed-Stuy to 10 families for roughly half price

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Photo via CityRealty New York City has sold 10 homes valued between $1 and $1.2 million to Brooklyn families for about half the price, as part of an initiative to promote affordable homeownership throughout the five boroughs. The two-family homes are located throughout the Bed-Stuy neighborhood and sold for between an estimated $407,000 and $625,000 (h/t NY Post). To qualify for the affordable homes, the families had to apply through a housing lottery and earn 90 or 130 percent of the are median income, which ranges roughly between $50,856 for a family of three and $153,790 for a family of seven.
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Kushner Cos. will buy remaining stake in 666 Fifth Avenue from Vornado for $120M

Google Street View of 666 Fifth Avenue

June 4, 2018

Kushner Cos. will buy remaining stake in 666 Fifth Avenue from Vornado for $120M

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Kushner Companies has agreed to purchase the remaining 49.5 percent stake in 666 Fifth Avenue from Vornado Realty Trust for $120 million, nearly wrapping up the drawn-out saga of the problem-plagued condo tower. According to the Wall Street Journal, Vornado said the contract with Kushner is expected to close in the third quarter of this year and is conditional and "there can be no assurance that this transaction will be completed." Kushner Cos. first purchased the 41-story building in 2007 for a record $1.8 billion, but the economic recession created enormous financial strain for the company. To help restructure the building's major debt, they brought in Vornado, which purchased the stake in the building for $80 million and the assumption of half the property's $1.2 billion mortgage in 2011.
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Cynthia Nixon calls for congestion pricing and millionaires’ tax to fund subway repairs

Photo via Wikimedia

June 4, 2018

Cynthia Nixon calls for congestion pricing and millionaires’ tax to fund subway repairs

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Actress and candidate for governor Cynthia Nixon released last week her plan to fix New York City's transit system and many of the ideas look pretty familiar. To pay for much-needed subway repairs, Nixon's plan calls for congestion pricing, a concept supported by her opponent Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and a millionaires' tax, an idea backed by Mayor Bill de Blasio (h/t NY Post). Her campaign also details imposing a polluter fee on fossil fuel companies to "generate billions of dollars to be used to fund New York’s transition to green energy." And while disparaging the MTA remains one of the focal points of her campaign, Nixon's plan to upgrade the subways is nearly identical to the Fast Forward plan released by NYC Transit Authority President Andy Byford last month. Jon Weinstein, a spokesperson for the MTA, said in a statement: "After three months of slamming the MTA in the press, Ms. Nixon released a plan to fix the subways and it was the MTA’s plan. Thanks."
More details here
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