Policy

June 4, 2018

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

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

Delayed feasibility study for proposed BQX streetcar costing taxpayers at least $7M

Photo via Friends of the BQX

June 1, 2018

Delayed feasibility study for proposed BQX streetcar costing taxpayers at least $7M

By Devin Gannon

The plan to bring a 16-mile light-rail trolley between Brooklyn and Queens has already cost taxpayers millions of dollars, even before the feasibility of the project has been determined. The study has cost the city $7 million in taxpayer money so far, according to the New York Post. And while the city's Economic Development Corporation promised to have the study completed last fall, this week the agency said they would not put a timeline on its release. Mayor Bill de Blasio first backed the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) project in February 2016, but a series of delays and funding concerns have put the trolley on hold. The proposed streetcar was left out of the city's budget proposal last month, further delaying studies into the project's plausibility.
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Downtown’s historic glass sidewalks will be saved after Landmarks reverses rule changes

Vault lights in Soho, via WooJin Chung for 6sqft

June 1, 2018

Downtown’s historic glass sidewalks will be saved after Landmarks reverses rule changes

By Dana Schulz

"Viva Vault Lights!" wrote the Historic Districts Council in response to the Landmarks Preservation Commission's decision to backpedal on its rules amendments, which called for "more oversight by LPC staff but less time for public review" in proposals for alterations to historic buildings. HDC's celebratory sentiment is in response to one of the now-moot stipulations that Soho and Tribeca's vault lights--historic, industrial-era sidewalks made from small circular glass bulbs--could be removed by building owners and replaced with modern sidewalks.
Find out about all the other victories

NYCHA improvements mandated by federal government could cost NYC $1B

Photo via Wikimedia

May 31, 2018

NYCHA improvements mandated by federal government could cost NYC $1B

By Devin Gannon

New York City will likely have to cough up $1 billion over the next four years to pay for improvements to its public housing stock as part of an agreement with the federal government, Politico New York reported Wednesday. The settlement from federal prosecutors ordering repairs to buildings run by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) will likely be reached in the next few days. The order comes after an investigation by the U.S. Attorney's District Office, which began in 2015, to check crumbling conditions across the 325 developments it operates. If the city does not follow the orders, the federal government could then take over the authority.
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May 30, 2018

Controversial expansion of the Frick Collection hits another road block

By Devin Gannon

All renderings courtesy of Beyer Blinder Belle and Selldorf Architects The planned expansion of the Frick Collection is delayed again after the Landmarks Preservation Commission decided Tuesday to not vote on the project, following hours of public testimony. Dozens of neighborhood advocates, preservationists and museum goers attended the hearing to discuss the Beyer Blinder Belle and Selldorf Architects-designed expansion, which would include 60,000 square feet of repurposed space and 27,000 square feet of new construction. The plan would expand the existing Upper East Side building's second level, add two set-back stories above the music room and an addition behind the Frick Art Reference Library. According to Curbed NY, critics of the expansion said the additions would be too large and block the design of the existing library. Despite a presentation from head architect Annabelle Selldorf, no decision was made about whether to grant the $160 million project its certificate of appropriateness.
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New York buildings claim the country’s highest property taxes

Photo by Dan DeLuca/Flickr

May 30, 2018

New York buildings claim the country’s highest property taxes

By Emily Nonko

In a city as pricy as New York, it's no surprise the buildings here pay some of the heftiest property taxes in the country. And that's overwhelmingly what Commercial Cafe has found in their Top 100 US Property Taxes in 2017 ranking, released this week to mark the end of tax season. New York, the report states, has an "overwhelming presence in the mix," as 78 of the top 100 U.S. taxes belong to properties located across the state. In 2017, those buildings generated $2.2 billion in property tax revenue, accounting for 82 percent of the total contributed by all 100. (Buildings are mostly offices, alongside some mixed-use, retail, hotel, entertainment and residential properties.) While the top spot was claimed by an industrial property in Fort Salonga, New York -- which pays a whopping $82 million of property taxes a year -- the next 19 buildings are located here the city and include Stuyvesant Town, pictured above, and the Metlife Building.
Read more about New York's top buildings

A mecca of African American history and culture, Central Harlem is designated a historic district

Photo via LPC

May 29, 2018

A mecca of African American history and culture, Central Harlem is designated a historic district

By Devin Gannon

The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Tuesday designated three blocks in Central Harlem as a historic district in recognition of the significant role African Americans played in social change in New York City and beyond during the 20th century. The Central Harlem District measures West 130-132nd Streets, the mid-blocks between Lenox and Seventh Avenues. LPC notes how Harlem residents used residential buildings to accommodate cultural, religious and political activities, starting with the Harlem Renaissance through the civil rights movement of the 1960s. "This collection of buildings is exactly why we designate historic districts: it's an architecturally distinctive and historically significant set of structures that together tell an essential piece of Central Harlem's story,” Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer said. The commission also launched an interactive story map as a way to illustrate the unique influence of this district through photos, maps and video.
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May 29, 2018

Widespread oversight in thousands of NYC water tanks poses health risks, according to report

By Devin Gannon

Photo via Ted McGrath on Flickr Thousands of wooden water tanks in New York City have not been properly inspected and cleaned for years, according to an investigation by City & State. And while the water towers have been an iconic part of the city skyline for over a century, the structures make it easy for pathogens and even dead animals to congregate and infiltrate the city's drinking water. According to the report, most building owners do not inspect and clean water tanks on a regular basis, despite newly updated health codes that require annual filings. City & State mapped more than 13,000 water tank inspection reports from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), letting the public know for the first time if and when a building's tank has been inspected and whether bacteria was found. Last year, just over 3,520 buildings with water tanks filed proof of inspection.
Has your building's water tank been inspected?

Policy

May 24, 2018

LPC’s new interactive map shows pending and issued permits for landmarked buildings

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) on Wednesday launched a new interactive web map that displays applications and permits for work on individual, interior and scenic landmarks, as well as buildings in historic districts. Permit Application Finder users can search by community district and work type, allowing the public to see geographically where LPC has issued permits for the first time. "LPC reviews and approves thousands of permit applications for work on designated properties each year, and with this map, information on all of these projects is just a click away," LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said in a statement. "It is an excellent example of how we are leveraging technology to make our regulatory process more efficient and transparent.”
More details here

Policy

MTA releases aggressive plan to modernize New York City’s subway within a decade

Photo via Dan Phiffer on Flickr

May 23, 2018

MTA releases aggressive plan to modernize New York City’s subway within a decade

By Devin Gannon

Within 10 years, the subway system will feature a state-of-the-art signal system, become more accessible, have a new fare payment system and boast thousands of new subway cars and buses. These ambitious improvements are all part of a plan released Wednesday by New York City Transit Chief Andy Byford and the MTA, called "Fast Forward: The Plan to Modernize New York City Transit." And the plan does intend to move very quickly. Byford expects work previously estimated to take nearly 50 years to be completed within the next decade. The top-to-bottom modernization of the system will no doubt inconvenience commuters, with possible changes to bus stop locations, as well as station closures and service disruptions. "Fast Forward" breaks down into two five-year plans, with the first half estimated to cost $19 billion and the next five years to cost $18 billion according to the New York Times. However, a cost estimate of the plan has not yet been officially released by the MTA.
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MTA documents reveal that 4,000 L train riders will be displaced during shutdown

By Michelle Cohen

The latest fear to raise its ugly head in what will admittedly be a major inconvenience–that is, the 15-month shutdown of the L line starting in April of 2019–is the very limited number of trains that will be able to pick up the slack heading across the Williamsburg bridge. The topic surfaced at last night's Town Hall meeting, when, according to the Village Voice, a concerned citizen by the name of Sunny Ng voiced his concerns about how many more trains could fit on the bridge.
Can of worms: Open!

May 16, 2018

The new voice of the MTA sounds like a New Yorker, but enunciates well

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Photo via Richard Yeh / WNYC Queens native and Metropolitan Transportation Authority Rail Control Center announcer Velina Mitchell is the new official voice of the transit authority. The 25-year MTA “insider” was chosen when Sarah Meyer, the NYC Transit chief customer officer, first heard Mitchell read a public service announcement. Little did Mitchell know she was auditioning for a much bigger role. Meyer told the Daily News: "She sounded like a New Yorker, but she was also warm and she enunciated very well." The MTA is making an effort to improve communications with their riders by playing Mitchell’s announcements in stations as well as in four new train cars.
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Landmarks approves three-story glass addition to Willem de Kooning’s former Union Square studio

Revised rendering via DXA Studio

May 15, 2018

Landmarks approves three-story glass addition to Willem de Kooning’s former Union Square studio

By Devin Gannon

Last November, the owner of newly-landmarked buildings at 827-831 Broadway, noted for their cast-iron architecture and as the home of artist Willem de Kooning, submitted a proposal for a four-story prismatic glass addition and landscaped roof terrace that architects DXA Studio say was influenced by de Kooning's work. After sending the plan back to the drawing board twice, the Landmarks Preservation Commission on Monday finally approved the revised design, which reduces the height of the addition to three stories and places it more setback from the street. LPC recommends that DXA use a darker cladding material over 47 East 12th Street to give it a totally matte finish.
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Cuomo joins lawsuit against Trump administration for failing to enforce Fair Housing Act

Photo via Pixabay

May 15, 2018

Cuomo joins lawsuit against Trump administration for failing to enforce Fair Housing Act

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday plans for New York State to join a lawsuit against the federal government for failing to carry out the Fair Housing Act, a 1968 law aimed at protecting people from discrimination when renting or buying. The suit seeks to reverse the decision by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to suspend President Barack Obama-era anti-segregation initiatives, known as an Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule. This rule requires local and state governments to address segregated housing patterns as a condition of receiving federal funding for housing. Joining civil rights groups in the lawsuit, with New York as the first state to do so, Cuomo called HUD's decision to delay this rule "repugnant" and "un-American."
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Policy

Coney Island boardwalk designated as a New York City landmark

Photo via Shinya Suzuki’s Flickr

May 15, 2018

Coney Island boardwalk designated as a New York City landmark

By Devin Gannon

Ninety-five years to the day since it first opened, the Coney Island boardwalk has been officially designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission as NYC's 11th scenic landmark. The historic designation includes 2.7 miles of public beachfront, stretching from Coney Island's West 37th Street to Brighton 15th Street in Brighton Beach. Since 2014, Council Member Mark Treyger has pushed for the boardwalk to be landmarked, but the commission repeatedly rejected the proposal. "The Coney Island Boardwalk is as much a part of the culture as it is a part of the history of New York City," LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said in a press release Tuesday. "It is a beloved public space that embodies Coney Island’s democratic spirit and reflects our City’s values of tolerance, inclusivity and equity."
More details here

Policy

May 14, 2018

Proposal for NYSE district overhaul calls for curbless streets, greenery and enhanced lighting

By Devin Gannon

In an effort to enhance the accessibility and the appearance of the New York Stock Exchange district, a new proposal is calling for curbless streets, enhanced lighting, multi-functional seating and simplified security structures. The Alliance for Downtown New York released on Monday a study that details ways to improve the historic area to make it more appealing and easier to navigate. While the corner of Wall and Broad Street has witnessed more than 400 years of Lower Manhattan history, starting when Dutch settlers built a wall as the city's northern border, the area is not living up to its potential as one of New York City's crown jewels, according to Jessica Lappin, the president of the Alliance. The study is the result of a nine-month process, with the Alliance working in tandem with local stakeholders, community members and design partners, WXY Architecture + Urban Design. "This report lays out a roadmap," Lappin said in a press release. "It is a grand yet achievable vision that could turn the Stock Exchange District into the jewel it should be." The group estimates the overhaul project will cost roughly $30 million.
See the proposal

May 14, 2018

Smoking ban inside co-op and condo units picks up steam in NYC buildings

By Michelle Cohen

Though banning cigarette smoking in apartment building common areas is nothing new, New York City's co-op and condo buildings have been voting to keep residents from lighting up even inside their own units, the Wall Street Journal reports. Co-op and condo lawyers say the sentiment in favor of clean, green air is growing, and tolerance for neighbors who smoke is at an all-time low. At the Century condominium at 25 Central Park West, a smoking ban went into effect in March after a two-thirds vote was achieved following a long–sometimes bitter–campaign.
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May 10, 2018

Six futuristic Skyport concepts revealed for flying Ubers

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

Uber has lofty goals- literally. 6sqft previously reported on the ride-sharing company's partnership with NASA to develop software to operate their “flying Ubers” for uberAIR by 2023. Clearly, flying Ubers need somewhere to takeoff and land, so yesterday, at their second annual elevate conference in Los Angeles, the company revealed the top six Skyport conceptual designs that are just as futuristic as the flying taxi concept itself.
Could these land in NYC?

The city will issue new Section 8 vouchers for the first time in two years

Photo via Creative Commons

May 10, 2018

The city will issue new Section 8 vouchers for the first time in two years

By Devin Gannon

For the first time in two years, New York City this week began issuing new Section 8 vouchers, which serve as a rental subsidy for lower-income families. The new vouchers come after the city's Housing Authority got a boost in funding from the federal government, allowing the authority to dole out 6,200 additional vouchers, according to amNY. Now, NYCHA has started calling possible tenants on its over 100,000-person waitlist and has already distributed 35 vouchers. The city oversees the largest Section 8 program in the country, with roughly 90,000 vouchers currently issued.
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Michael Cohen puts up $9M Trump Park Avenue apartment as collateral against bank debt

Photo of Michael Cohen via Wikimedia; image of Trump Park Avenue via Google Earth

May 9, 2018

Michael Cohen puts up $9M Trump Park Avenue apartment as collateral against bank debt

By Devin Gannon

Michael Cohen, the longtime attorney for President Donald Trump, has put up his family's Park Avenue apartment as collateral against a bank loan worth millions of dollars. The bank valued Cohen's condo, fittingly at Trump Park Avenue in Lenox Hill, for $9 million. The financially troubled lawyer is putting his apartment against $12.8 million in loans he took out for his taxi business in 2014. Cohen secured these loans by New York City taxi medallions, which have dropped in value by 80 percent due to the growth of ride-sharing services, according to Bloomberg.
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Policy

The state of food trucks: Why owners are fed up with outdated regulations

Photo via Wikimedia

May 9, 2018

The state of food trucks: Why owners are fed up with outdated regulations

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

According to a recent report by Food Truck Nation, New York City takes 9th out of the top places to run a food truck. The report ranks three categories: ease of obtaining permits and licenses, complying with restrictions and operating a food truck. And with a composite score of nine, NYC is falling behind other cities, specifically Portland, Denver and Orlando which take the top three spots, respectively. Based on the data, obtaining permits and licenses is what drags the city's scores down, falling to spot 26. Some cities have many fewer barriers to entry. For example, Denver requires ten different procedures to obtain a license, whereas Boston has a whopping 32. Unsurprising, Denver has 594 food trucks in operation. But Adam Sobel, the owner of Cinnamon Snail, the vegan food truck which is ranked as the top food truck in the New York City by The Daily Meal, has stopped running its food truck business on the streets of New York. Sobel only uses his food trucks for special events a few days a week, like farmers markets, because he says that every food truck on the streets of New York is basically illegal.
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May 9, 2018

New York Wheel has four months to find funding to restart work

By Dana Schulz

"[We are] committed to the completion of the project, which is the centerpiece of a Staten Island redevelopment project. This settlement will allow New York Wheel the opportunity to finalize its financing arrangements and re-commence the construction and completion of the Wheel," the New York Wheel said in a statement responding to a bankruptcy court stipulation that gives the project 120 days to find the required funds and hire a new contractor (h/t SI Advance). This comes after the project's design team walked off the job last June amidst a "bitter pay dispute" with the developer. The 630-foot Ferris wheel has been plagued by cost overruns and delays from the beginning, so if they're not able to get things back on track by September 5th, it could mean the end of what was planned to be a major revenue generator and attraction for Staten Island.
The whole saga

Policy

May 9, 2018

Trump could get over $30M from sale of a Brooklyn affordable housing complex he partially owns

By Devin Gannon

Starrett City photo via Matt Green on Flickr, President Trump photo via Wikimedia As he proposes funding cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's subsidized housing programs, President Donald Trump is set to gain millions of dollars from the sale of an affordable housing complex in East New York, best known as Starrett City. Investors, including Trump who owns a 4 percent stake in the development, sold the 46-building complex to two real estate firms for $906 million, ABC News reported Tuesday. Trump is set to profit about $36 million from the sale (an amount which could drop after mortgage costs and transfer taxes). Home to roughly 15,000 residents across 145 acres, Starrett City is the largest federally subsidized housing project in the country.
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NYC’s Zombie Houses: Why more homes are vacant and abandoned

Photo via Felix Castor/Flickr

May 8, 2018

NYC’s Zombie Houses: Why more homes are vacant and abandoned

By Cait Etherington

As recently reported on 6sqft, the number of vacant homes in New York City continues to rise. The Census Bureau’s Housing and Vacancy Survey found that the number of unoccupied apartments citywide has grown 35 percent since 2014. While a majority of the city’s 247,977 empty units are empty for a legitimate reason—for example, they are currently awaiting the arrival of a new occupant, being renovated, or are seasonally occupied—among the city’s currently vacant homes are a small percentage of homes known as “zombie homes.” Usually vacant and deteriorating, in some cases, these homes have been abandoned by owners who are behind on their mortgage payments and in other cases, the homes have already been taken over by a lender. The issue has become so problematic that last April, the city —prompted by the passing of the New York State Zombie Property and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2016, or “Zombie Law”—decided it was time to tackle the zombie home problem head-on.
What's going on?

Cynthia Nixon’s Rent Justice for All platform would extend rent stabilization and boost tenant protection

Cynthia Nixon image; image

May 4, 2018

Cynthia Nixon’s Rent Justice for All platform would extend rent stabilization and boost tenant protection

By Michelle Cohen

Cynthia Nixon, the "Sex and the City" actress-turned-Democratic gubernatorial candidate, has unveiled a Rent Justice for All platform that would bolster protection for tenants statewide. Curbed reports that Nixon, who is running against Governor Andrew Cuomo as a Democratic candidate, announced Rent Justice for All, a series of measures intended to address the growing burden placed on New York's renters, of which there are many: Nixon said in a statement, “Half of our state residents are renters, and under Governor Cuomo, New York’s renters have been left behind.”
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