Policy

January 16, 2017

Cuomo dubs revised 421-a plan ‘Affordable New York,’ advances new legislation

A year after the city’s 421-a tax exemption program expired, a new version of the affordable housing incentive is officially moving forward. In August, Governor Cuomo released a new version of the plan that which include wage subsidies for construction workers and extended terms for the tax breaks, and after the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) reached an agreement in November to move ahead with this version, the Governor's office now reports that they'll be advancing new legislation to move ahead the program that's now been re-named "Affordable New York." Cuomo says this will create 2,500 new affordable housing units per year.
All the details this way

January 12, 2017

The city added 21,963 affordable housing units in 2016, the most in 27 years

By Dana Schulz

When Mayor de Blasio took office in 2014, he vowed to build or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing over 10 years, and so far, he's made good on his word, despite the loss of the city's controversial 421-a program. The Times reports that today the Mayor will announce that his administration has added 21,963 affordable units in 2016, the most since 1989. Of these apartments, 6,844 were in newly constructed buildings and roughly 4,400, or 20 percent, were reserved for low-income New Yorkers earning less than $25,000 (much more than the eight percent goal). More than 30 percent were in Manhattan, followed by 29 percent in both the Bronx and Brooklyn.
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January 11, 2017

Citi Bike to add ‘Laserlight’ projection feature to improve rider safety

By Diane Pham

Citi Bike is gearing up for a high-tech upgrade this winter in the form of lasers, reports Metro. The bike share's operator, Motivate, and the designers at Blaze have teamed up to outfit 250 bikes with Laserlight, a safety light that combines a 300 lumen LED with a forward projecting laser that continuously beams an image to warn cars and pedestrians a bike is approaching.
find out more here

January 10, 2017

5th Avenue needs pedestrian lanes to accommodate Trump, says transit expert Janette Sadik-Khan

By Hannah Frishberg

Reserving three of 5th Avenue's five traffic lanes for pedestrians will ease the traffic paralysis that President-elect Donald Trump's continued residence in his 56th Street tower has caused, former NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan argues. In an op-ed for the New York Times yesterday Sadik-Khan, a principal with Bloomberg Associates and a key player in the introduction of the Times Square Pedestrian Plaza, angled 5th Avenue's traffic problem as a bipartisan issue that requires change to get better. With the President-elect saying he plans on visiting his Manhattan home frequently even once he has moved to the White House, it is clear New York will need to adapt or risk forever needing to budget an extra three hours to get through Midtown.
Without big changes, the chaos isn't going to improve

January 9, 2017

Governor Cuomo announces six investments to advance NYC’s outer boroughs

By Dana Schulz

Continuing his 2017 State of the State proposals, Governor Cuomo made an announcement this morning that the state would invest in six regional projects "to move New York City's outer boroughs forward." In addition to healthcare-related initiatives, these include: up to 3,000 new units of affordable housing in Brooklyn with wellness-focused amenities; permanent toll reductions on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge for Staten Island residents; $10 million towards the Orchard Beach pavilion redevelopment; and $108 million in financing for the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx to be transformed to an ice center.
Get all the details ahead

January 9, 2017

Jared Kushner will leave role as CEO of Kushner Companies

By Diane Pham

In just 11 more days, Donald Trump will take office as the 45th President of the United States. And just as Trump is gearing up for his four-year term, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump are preparing to take on major roles as well. Last week it was revealed that the pair would be moving into a six-bedroom, $5.5 million mansion in D.C., and now the New York Times reports that Kushner will step down as CEO of Kushner Companies as he transitions from real estate mogul to full-time presidential advisor.
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January 4, 2017

The Internet of Things: How our homes will know us better than we know them

By Cait Etherington

At the start of every new year, futurologists inform us of what the next 12 months might have in store. For 2017, there is widespread speculation that the Internet of Things will continue to reshape our lives and homes in profound and lasting ways. If you haven’t already familiarized yourself with the Internet of Things […]

January 4, 2017

New details for controversial Midtown East rezoning revealed, plan moves forward with land use review

By Michelle Cohen

Plans to rezone Midtown East are few steps closer to reality with the start of the new year. The Department of City Planning has certified a rezoning proposal for the area surrounding Grand Central, and the city kicked off its official land-use review process Tuesday. The next step for the rezoning plans will be the seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), which includes review by community boards 5 and 6, the Manhattan borough president, the City Planning Commission and the City Council. The zoning proposal could add 6.5 million square feet of commercial space to the 73-block district in the form of 16 larger, more modern buildings that would replace old ones, breathing new life into the office zone that New York Post real estate columnist Steve Cuozzo recently referred to as “iconic but declining.”
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Policy

January 3, 2017

IDNYC adds 10 new institutions to its roster of free offerings for 2017

By Dana Schulz

For the third straight year, IDNYC will remain free to all New Yorkers over the age of 14, despite concerns related to Donald Trump's request for data from sanctuary cities (h/t DNAinfo). Currently, more than 900,000 people are cardholders, which makes them eligible for memberships and discounts at 38 cultural institutions, 10 of which are brand new this year and include the Museum of Arts and Design, Museum at Eldridge Street, Film Forum, St. George Theatre, and the Jacques Marchais Center for Tibetan Art. Other perks include a 15 percent discount for first-time Citi Bike members, a five percent discount during certain times at Food Bazaar supermarkets, and up to 25 percent off select events at the Barclay's Center.
Find out more right this way

City may continue to house homeless New Yorkers in hotel rooms for nine years

By Dana Schulz

Though Mayor de Blasio said early last year that he would phase out the process of using hotel rooms to fill the gaps in supporting the city's growing homeless population "as quickly as possible," a new request from the Department of Homeless Services would extend the practice for up to nine years. The Post reports that the agency's proposal is in response to the record 60,686+ New Yorkers in shelters, and they're asking for vendors to supply "emergency shelter social services in commercial hotels."
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Policy

Secret Russian compound on Long Island shut down after Obama-issued sanctions

A Google Earth image of the property

December 30, 2016

Secret Russian compound on Long Island shut down after Obama-issued sanctions

By Dana Schulz

News of President Obama imposing sanctions against the two Russian intelligence agencies that were allegedly involved in the DNC hacking that affected the 2016 presidential election is perhaps the biggest news in the world right now, but it hits a lot closer to home than many New Yorkers may realize. The administration expelled 35 intelligence officials from the country and ordered two intelligence compounds closed, one of which is a 49-room mansion on a 14-acre property in Glen Cove on Long Island's ritzy Gold Coast (h/t Gothamist). NBC New York reports that, although the Soviet Union purchased it in 1951 to be used as weekend home for its UN delegates, many locals were never aware of its existence as a "longtime getaway for Russian diplomats" that was "also used for Russian intelligence purposes."
The full story

December 19, 2016

The problem with privately owned public spaces (‘POPS’) and how we can improve them

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

The Atlantic and the New York Times recently exposed the privately owned public spaces (known as “POPS”) in the Trump Tower as being far from “public.” As both journalists demonstrated, most of the Trump Tower public spaces were either cordoned off or non-existent, most notably, the case of the missing bench. A long bench was […]

December 14, 2016

City spending an average of $400,000 a night on hotel rooms for the homeless

By Dana Schulz

Less than a week after the city announced that they'll be increasing the number of commercial hotel rooms housing homeless families and individuals by more than 500, a report from Comptroller Scott Stringer puts the average cost a night citywide for the current batch at $400,000, according to the Daily News. The report, which is being released today, says that since November 2015, the city booked a total of 425,000 hotel rooms, costing more than $72.9 million. As of last month, there were 5,881 homeless New Yorkers staying in hotels, with the average nightly bill climbing from $163 to $194 over the past year.
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Policy

December 13, 2016

Historic districts and landmarking: What they mean and how they could affect you

By Michelle Cohen

In New York City, where buying and selling real estate is a high-stakes endeavor, the topic of historic and landmark designation is frequently raised. There are heated discussions on the subject of listing neighborhoods or buildings on the State and National Register of Historic Places or having them designated by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. It's important to know what those organizations do and the distinctions between them. You could even be eligible for significant financial aid for your renovations if you own property in an historic district.
Find out what these designations mean, how you could benefit from them and why they're sometimes controversial.

December 9, 2016

Google’s Window Wonderland lets you tour Fifth Avenue holiday window displays from your home

By Dana Schulz

Google Maps introduced a street-view look at NYC's holiday windows a couple years ago, but their Shopping app has now completely revamped the feature, launching this year as Window Wonderland. The interactive tool lets users take a high-resolution digital tour of 18 stores, including audio tours from their creative directors and real-life background street noise. See the 34 hand-sculpted animals in Lord & Taylor's "Enchanted Forest," explore the candy and couture at Saks Fifth Avenue's "Land of 1000 Delights," or see the gang from South Park at Barney's.
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December 9, 2016

New York City awarded $80.2 million in state funding competitions for 121 projects

By Diane Pham

NYC will get a big boost thanks to Governor Cuomo's Regional Economic Development Council competitions, a six-year-old initiative that provides "ground-up" funding driven by a community's success in improving quality of life and growing the local economy. New York City was named a "top performer" by the administration and awarded $80.2 million. The hefty sum will be allocated towards 121 projects across all five boroughs, including $1 million to build a tech incubator facility in Brooklyn, $1 million for a shuttle-bus service for the Brooklyn Navy Yard, $2.1 million to support the Green Point Manufacturing and Design Center, and $1.24 million to complete the final section of the Brooklyn Bridge Park beneath the bridge. Money will also go towards brownfield clean-up, supporting workforce expansion in local organizations, job training, and improving parks in low-income neighborhoods.
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December 8, 2016

City will increase the number of hotel rooms housing homeless New Yorkers by more than 500

By Dana Schulz

As he readies himself for reelection this coming year, Mayor de Blasio is looking to address the city's surging homeless population. Just this week, the city reported a record 60,686 New Yorkers in shelters, nearly 40 percent of whom are children. This number was closer to 51,470 when de Blasio took office in 2014, and despite the $1.6 billion he's spent on homeless services since this time (a 60 percent increase), the shelter system still can't support the growing population. Therefore, as the Times explains, he's looking to ramp up a controversial initiative that uses hotel rooms to fill in the gaps, earmarking more than 500 additional rooms for this portfolio.
Find out more on this issue

Policy

December 7, 2016

NYC will have free Wi-Fi in all underground subway stations by year’s end

By Michelle Cohen

NYC Subway riders will soon be less able to blame their subway commute for not being able to immediately answer that all-important email or text. Last January 6sqft highlighted Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to get all MTA subway stations connected with free Wi-Fi by the end of this year as part of a comprehensive plan to upgrade subway infrastructure. According to AMNewYork, plans to implement free Wi-Fi in all 279 of the city’s subway stations are on track for the end of this year; as of Tuesday, 250 of them are already up and running.
It's all part of an ambitious plan

December 6, 2016

New bill could limit sidewalk scaffolding to six months or less

By Michelle Cohen

Like an unwanted visitor, well-intentioned but present well after becoming a daily nuisance, New York City's familiar green sidewalk scaffolding seems to contradict the laws of gravity: It goes up but never really seems to come down. Now, the New York Times reports, a new City Council bill would require that scaffolding be taken down after six months–sooner if no work is being done.
Find out the details

December 5, 2016

Before Repeal Day ended Prohibition in 1933: Speakeasies and medicinal whiskey were all the rage

By Tracy A. Marciano

The last time a political outcome stunned the country with such a polarizing impact was in 1919, when the 18th amendment—prohibiting the production, sale, and distribution of alcohol—was ratified. After a 70-year campaign led by several groups known as The Drys, who insisted alcohol corrupted society, the ban on alcohol arrived in 1920 and was enforced by the Volstead Act. But the Noble Experiment did little to keep people from drinking. Indeed, Prohibition led citizens to dream up creative ways to circumvent the law, turning the ban into a profitable black market where mobsters, rum-runners, moonshiners, speakeasies, the invention of cocktails, and innovative ways to market alcohol took the country by storm. Prohibition in many ways fueled the roaring twenties, and it made things especially exciting in New York City. December 5th marks the 83rd anniversary of Repeal Day, when 13 long years of Prohibition finally came to a close.
Read on about Prohibition and the Repeal

December 5, 2016

Airbnb settles with NYC over $7,500 fines, how other cities are cracking down

By Dana Schulz

After settling with New York state two weeks ago, Airbnb has now also dropped its case against the city, reports the Times. The company filed the lawsuits after Governor Cuomo passed a bill in October that would impose fines of up to $7,500 for illegal short-term rental listings--those rented out for fewer than 30 days without the lease holder present--on the site. The company agreed to settle on the grounds that the city only hold hosts responsible for the fines, not Airbnb. And they're facing similar situations in cities like Berlin, Amsterdam, and London, who will likely look to the New York case as they move forward with their own regulations.
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Policy

December 2, 2016

Smoking ban placed on New York and U.S. public housing

By Metro New York

Smoking anywhere inside New York City Housing Authority buildings, and in public housing across the country, will be illegal at some point during the next 18 months. The new rule, designed to to minimize health and fire risks, will impact 400,000 NYCHA residents, according to the advocacy group NYC Smoke-Free. Smoking causes 100,000 fires across […]

Policy

December 2, 2016

How 100 years of zoning has shaped New York City

By Cait Etherington

In October, city officials unveiled plans to rezone a large swath of East Harlem. The major thrust of the rezoning initiative is to bring more high-rise buildings to a corridor running several blocks along Park, Second, and Third avenues. By building up, city officials hope the neighborhood will increase its housing stock, including its affordable […]

November 28, 2016

‘Sixth Borough’ map shows 14,000+ city-owned and leased properties that equal the size of Brooklyn

By Dana Schulz

The Municipal Art Society of New York sent out a press release today that announces their new interactive map of the more than 14,000 city-owned and leased properties. Fittingly titled "The Sixth Borough," it shows how these sites amount to 43,000 acres, a land area the size of Brooklyn or one-third of the city's total land area, and the extent to which these public holdings--22 percent of which are listed as having no current use--affect the environment, infrastructure, landmarks, population, and neighborhood rezonings.
All the findings ahead

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