Policy

Pied-à-terre tax backed by NYC Council members

Via Vornado Realty Trust and Robert A.M. Stern Architects

February 26, 2019

Pied-à-terre tax backed by NYC Council members

Update 2/26/19: Council Members Mark Levine and Margaret Chin announced on Monday that they plan on introducing a resolution in support of the pied-à-terre tax, as amNY reported. The tax would be modeled after the measure sponsored by State Sen. Brad Hoylman and apply an annual surcharge on non-primary homes worth more than $5 million. Last month, billionaire Ken Griffin closed on a penthouse at 220 Central Park South for over $239 million, making it the most expensive home ever sold in the United States. Griffin, the founder of the hedge fund Citadel, said he will not use the pricey pad as a primary residence, but instead as "a place to stay when he's in town." The staggering sale has renewed support from public officials for a pied-à-terre tax, which would place a yearly surcharge on homes worth $5 million and up, and apply to non-primary residences, as reported by the New York Times.
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February 25, 2019

MTA announces public meetings to discuss revised L train repair plans

By Michelle Cohen

The MTA said in a press release that 100 percent of riders during high ridership hours will have full service under the revised approach to L train repairs. Also, added transit options such as more G, 7 and M service, new Williamsburg Link buses and free transfers will benefit evening and weekend riders. Starting in March, the MTA will be holding open houses with the community to discuss the plan.
Open house dates and more info this way

Photo via Wiki Commons

February 20, 2019

Strand bookstore owner offers a compromise in last-ditch attempt to avoid landmark status

By Michelle Cohen

In a heated second hearing before the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the owner of the iconic Strand Bookstore, Nancy Bass Wyden, continued her fight to keep the famed bookseller's building from being designated a city landmark along with seven buildings on Broadway between East 12th and 14th Streets. Instead, Wyden is offering to put in place a historic preservation easement on the storefront, Gothamist reports. The easement would be the result of an agreement between the property's owner and a nonprofit group that would serve as a steward for the building's preservation, ensuring that, in this case the building's facade, would be properly preserved. At a previous LPC hearing The Strand's owner voiced strong concerns that a historic designation would place crippling restrictions on the scrappy business and potentially threaten its future.
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Policy

Via CityRealty

February 14, 2019

Amazon will not move to Long Island City

By Devin Gannon

Amazon said on Thursday it will no longer build a new headquarters in Long Island City, the New York Times reported. The online retail giant selected the Queens neighborhood last year for its "HQ2" campus following a 14-month nationwide contest. Amazon had promised to bring 25,000 jobs to New York City in exchange for nearly $3 billion in state and city incentives. In a statement, the company said it does not plan to look for another location at this time.
Details here

Policy

NYC Council Members to introduce legislation that limits security deposits and broker fees

Via CityRealty

February 13, 2019

NYC Council Members to introduce legislation that limits security deposits and broker fees

By Devin Gannon

A package of legislation being introduced in the City Council on Wednesday aims to make renting in New York City more affordable. The bills, drafted by Council Members Keith Powers and Carlina Rivera, would limit broker fees and security deposits each to one month's rent, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The bills come after a report by City Comptroller Scott Stringer released last summer found that New Yorkers paid over $507 million in security deposits in 2016.
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Policy

February 13, 2019

Landmarks approves Snøhetta’s new designs for Phillip Johnson’s 550 Madison Avenue

By Michelle Cohen

In December, 6sqft reported that architecture firm Snøhetta had unveiled a preservationist-friendly revision to a controversial design for an updated AT&T building at 550 Madison Avenue; last month brought more details from the firm's proposal that was submitted to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). The most recent design is one of several revisions, each followed by controversy over being seen by preservationists as diverting too much from the building’s original design by Philip Johnson and John Burgee. Yesterday LPC approved the new preservation-friendly designs–with some modifications. The office tower is now on track to reopen in 2020.
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A majority of New Yorkers want Amazon in Queens, new poll shows

Rendering via NYCEDC

February 12, 2019

A majority of New Yorkers want Amazon in Queens, new poll shows

By Devin Gannon

News broke last week that Amazon was reconsidering its move to New York City after facing opposition from residents and local officials. But a new poll released on Tuesday shows a majority of New York voters actually support the deal for the tech company to open its headquarters in Queens. According to the Siena College Research Institute, 56 percent of voters in the state back the project, while 36 percent disapprove. City residents support the Amazon deal even more, with 58 percent approving, according to the poll.
Details here

Policy

Via CityRealty

February 11, 2019

Learning from Seattle: How Amazon could shape NYC real estate

By Cait Etherington

Since Amazon announced it had selected Long Island City for its new headquarters last fall, a lot of people have wondered what will happen to the neighborhood and its surrounding communities. While LIC has already undergone a series of radical changes of the past two decades—first there was an influx of artists seeking larger live-work spaces and later a wave of condo developments—the arrival of Amazon promises to have an even deeper impact on LIC. And the potential negative effect of the tech giant moving into town has not gone unnoticed by public officials and locals, who have led a strong opposition campaign. It was reported on Friday that Amazon was reconsidering its plan to move to the neighborhood after facing an intense backlash from those who fear increased rents and even more congestion. But with no plan to officially abandon Queens, it's important to understand what could happen if Amazon does put down roots in LIC by first looking at how the company has already changed Seattle, where it first set up shop back in 1994.
More on the effect

Amazon is rethinking its move to Long Island City

Via Wikimedia

February 8, 2019

Amazon is rethinking its move to Long Island City

By Devin Gannon

After facing months of intense backlash from residents and local officials, Amazon is rethinking its plan to open a massive complex in the Queens neighborhood of Long Island City, the Washington Post reported on Friday. Sources told the newspaper, which is owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, that executives at the tech company have had discussions to reassess the plan to open its "HQ2" in New York City. "The question is whether it's worth it if the politicians in New York don't want the project, especially with how people in Virginia and Nashville have been so welcoming," a source told the Post.
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Policy

Newark mayor points to flaws in NYC program that pays homeless people to leave for cheaper cities

Photo via Wikimedia

February 7, 2019

Newark mayor points to flaws in NYC program that pays homeless people to leave for cheaper cities

By Michelle Cohen

In a statement this week, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka asked that New York City’s Special One-Time Assistance (SOTA) Program providing homeless shelter residents with free rent for a year if they are willing to leave NYC be re-evaluated due to "serious defects." A recent investigation by WNYC confirmed that some families ended up in "illegal and uninhabitable" apartments in Newark. As CBS New York reports, Baraka cited the fact that participants were coming to Newark under the program–which pays landlords a year's worth of rent upfront–and ending up in the aforementioned conditions, then being abandoned to become homeless again when the year was up.
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Subway riders could save up to 9 days a year under the MTA’s Fast Forward plan

By Michelle Cohen

Last May, 6sqft reported on the release of the MTA's ambitious 10-year "Fast Forward" plan to modernize New York City's transit system featuring a state-of-the-art signal system, more accessibility, a new fare payment system and thousands of new subway cars and buses. Perhaps the most ambitious part of the plan is that work previously estimated to take nearly 50 years would be completed within the next decade. But just how much would these marvelous changes improve our daily commute? Transit advocacy organization Transit Center breaks it down for a few of the city's more sluggish examples to show us how much time we might get back to do better stuff than sit on the subway.
More time to wait in line for coffee

NYC has fewer accessible subway stations than MTA claims, report says

Photo via Flickr

February 6, 2019

NYC has fewer accessible subway stations than MTA claims, report says

By Alexandra Alexa

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority currently claims that 114 of its 427 stations—or 24 percent—are accessible. But a new study led by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer’s office shows otherwise. A team of staffers surveyed 42 of the stations that the MTA deems accessible, visiting each station on four separate days at different times of the day. Based on complaints and conversations with advocates, they assessed elevator accessibility, station signage, and features for vision-impaired riders. As Curbed first reported, their findings show that an already sub-par statistic is actually inflated.
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De Blasio administration approves $7M study for proposed BQX streetcar

Rendering via EDC

February 6, 2019

De Blasio administration approves $7M study for proposed BQX streetcar

By Devin Gannon

The plan to build a streetcar between Brooklyn and Queens got a much-needed push forward on Wednesday. The city's Economic Development Corporation awarded consulting firm VHB $7.25 million to complete an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the proposed Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX). First announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2016, the streetcar plan has faced many roadblocks, delays, and doubts from public officials. But last year, the mayor announced a revised proposal, which includes a higher price tag, fewer miles on the route, and a delayed start date.
Get the details

February 5, 2019

City sees an unprecedented 37 percent drop in evictions

By Michelle Cohen

The mayor's office announced this week that New York City's residential evictions by marshals had declined by 37 percent since 2013, with approximately 18,000 evictions in 2018 compared to almost 29,000 evictions in 2013. In Manhattan, evictions are down 47 percent since 2013. What that means: Since 2013, more than 100,000 New Yorkers who might otherwise have faced evictions have been able to stay in their homes. And evictions decreased 14 percent in 2018 alone. Maps from the New York City Council show data on where the most evictions happen and allow you to search for a specific address in any borough to find out more.
Universal Access to legal aid, maps and more

Taxis and Ubers in Manhattan will get more expensive as judge gives congestion fees the green light

Image via Flickr

February 1, 2019

Taxis and Ubers in Manhattan will get more expensive as judge gives congestion fees the green light

By Alexandra Alexa

Congestion surcharges on taxis and other for-hire vehicles in Manhattan will begin soon after a judge lifted a temporary restriction of the fees on Thursday, the New York Times reports. The new fees were supposed to start on January 1st but a coalition of taxi drivers filed a last-minute lawsuit against the “suicide surcharge,” fearing that the new policy will drive away customers and deal another significant blow to the ailing industry. The proposed fee of $2.50 for yellow taxis and $2.75 for other for-hire vehicles will bring the minimum taxi fare up to $5.80 while the minimum cost for an Uber, which already has an $8 base fare in Manhattan, will see an increase to $10.75.
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Image courtesy of Urban Archive. Photo credits, clockwise from top left: 1, 2, Museum of the City of New York; 3, 4, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation; 5, Museum of Chinese in America

February 1, 2019

Urban Archive invites New Yorkers to submit photos for their new crowdsourced history project

By Michelle Cohen

Technology nonprofit Urban Archive has been creating new connections  between people, places, and historical institutions for several years based on New York City's architecture, culture, and unique stories, and they've just launched a new initiative. My Archive is a citywide project that tells the story of NYC through crowd-sourced histories and photographs–and it's an opportunity for regular New Yorkers to add their own history to the map. Throughout the month of February, you can submit your own photos for a chance to have them added to a collection of personal histories captured on city streets across the five boroughs–and included in the UA app.
Find out how to submit your photos

Federal government increases oversight of NYCHA

Via Wikimedia

January 31, 2019

Federal government increases oversight of NYCHA

By Devin Gannon

President Donald Trump's administration announced on Thursday it will seize some control over the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), calling for an independent federal monitor to oversee the troubled agency. According to the New York Times, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), NYCHA, and the city reached a deal that includes an investment of $2.2 billion over 10 years by the city in NYCHA, but does not place the agency under receivership. The monitor will be responsible for oversight of the agency's 176,000 apartments, part of the largest public housing authority in the country.
Get the details

TransitCenter maps out the next 50 subway stations that should be made accessible in NYC

Photo via Flickr cc

January 31, 2019

TransitCenter maps out the next 50 subway stations that should be made accessible in NYC

By Dana Schulz

Photo via Flickr cc Roughly 75 percent of New York City's 472 subway stations are not accessible--a fact that has long plagued disability advocates but has now taken on a more pressing call to action after 22-year-old Malaysia Goodson died after falling down the stairs carrying her baby in a stroller at one of these stations. To visualize this dire need, TransitCenter has put together a map that proposes the next 50 subway stations that should be made accessible under the MTA’s Fast Forward plan. If implemented, their plan would "more than triple the potential station-to-station trips riders who rely on elevators can make using accessible stations."
How did they choose these 50 stations?

Amazon will fight efforts to unionize by NYC workforce

A rendering of One Court Square in LIC, where Amazon will temporarily move this year; via NYCEDC

January 31, 2019

Amazon will fight efforts to unionize by NYC workforce

By Devin Gannon

During a heated City Council hearing on Wednesday, Amazon said it will oppose efforts by its New York City workforce to unionize. Speaker Corey Johnson asked Brian Huseman, the public policy vice president for Amazon, if the company would allow workers to unionize while remaining neutral during the process. Huseman responded, "No, sir," establishing a tense tone for the rest of the hearing, the Daily News reported.
More here

Policy

City releases Gowanus rezoning draft with a focus on waterfront resiliency

Via NYC Planning

January 30, 2019

City releases Gowanus rezoning draft with a focus on waterfront resiliency

By Devin Gannon

The Department of City Planning on Wednesday released a draft of its plan to rezone Gowanus as a way to bring more affordable housing, jobs, and community resources to the Brooklyn neighborhood. In the works for nearly three years, the proposal includes a waterfront access plan that creates public walkways centered around the canal, as well as builds a more resilient shoreline.
See the proposal

Policy

Cuomo’s new L train plan will still bring headaches for commuters, as leaked memo shows

Image via Governor Cuomo’s Flickr

January 24, 2019

Cuomo’s new L train plan will still bring headaches for commuters, as leaked memo shows

By Alexandra Alexa

With Governor Cuomo's plan to avoid a total L train shutdown for 15 months in favor of a "nights and weekends" approach confirmed earlier this month, questions still remain about just what the alternate plan will entail and how riders will be affected. According to an exclusive MTA memo draft obtained by Streetsblog and the New York Post this week, it looks like the new Canarsie Tunnel repair plan will bring its own set of headaches for straphangers, including 20-minute waits between trains on weekends and an exit-only system at First and Third Avenues on weekends.
There's more

MTA board delays vote on proposed fare hike

Via Flickr

January 24, 2019

MTA board delays vote on proposed fare hike

By Devin Gannon

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board voted on Thursday to table making a decision on a proposed fare hike until February. The board was set to vote on two proposals to raise NYC subway and bus, Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North fares. But board member Peter Ward said he was worried about increasing fares without looking at alternative revenue options. "I'm concerned we're making a decision today when we need to be a little bit slower, a little more thoughtful, and consider a few more options," Ward, who was appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said during the board meeting.
More here

On the Upper East Side, Emery Roth’s First Hungarian Church of New York may become a landmark

Google Street View of the church

January 22, 2019

On the Upper East Side, Emery Roth’s First Hungarian Church of New York may become a landmark

By Michelle Cohen

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has voted in favor of giving a calendar spot in the landmark designation process to the First Hungarian Reformed Church of New York, one of few religious properties designed by the noted New York City architect Emery Roth–himself a Hungarian immigrant. The church is also significant for its importance to the Hungarian-American community that settled in the Upper East Side's Yorkville neighborhood.
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Policy

Four historic districts in Sunset Park will get landmark consideration

Photo via Flickr cc

January 22, 2019

Four historic districts in Sunset Park will get landmark consideration

By Michelle Cohen

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted today to calendar the designation of four historic districts in Sunset Park, Brooklyn consisting of Sunset Park North, Central Sunset Park, Sunset Park 50th Street, and Sunset Park South, representing the Brooklyn neighborhood's most cohesive and intact concentrations of high-quality architecture. The neighborhood's preservation organization, Sunset Park Landmarks Committee, requested consideration for historic district status in 2014.
more on Historic Sunset Park, this way

Policy

Thousands of NYCHA residents had no heat or hot water on dangerously cold day

Over 2,800 residents at the Bushwick Houses in Brooklyn lost heat and/or hot water on Monday; via Flickr

January 22, 2019

Thousands of NYCHA residents had no heat or hot water on dangerously cold day

By Devin Gannon

In what has become an all-too-familiar story, thousands of public housing residents in New York City were without heat and hot water on Monday, when temperatures dropped to single digits. On the coldest day of the year, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) reported nearly 12,000 residents were experiencing heat and hot-water outages. A similar service disruption occurred roughly one year ago; during two weeks of brutal cold and a major snowstorm, the city had received 22,000 heat and hot water complaints, with a majority of those from NYCHA developments.
More here

Policy

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