Policy

After seven years, Landmarks approves controversial Canal Street apartment building

Revised Design for 312-322 Canal Street courtesy of Paul A. Castrucci Architects

January 23, 2018

After seven years, Landmarks approves controversial Canal Street apartment building

For Trans World Equities and Paul A. Castrucci Architects, the third time is truly the charm. Nearly seven years after they first proposed a plan to replace a row of five buildings at 312-322 Canal Street with a residential building, the Landmarks Preservation Commission officially approved on Tuesday the duo's revised design. The updated plan reduces the height of the building from nine to seven stories and mutes the color of the facade from a bright-red brick to terracotta. During the developer's third presentation for LPC, the commissioners said the building's rhythm and height will now fit better with the district, according to CityRealty.
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De Blasio administration falls short of pledge to open 20 homeless shelters in 2017

Photo via Wikimedia

January 23, 2018

De Blasio administration falls short of pledge to open 20 homeless shelters in 2017

By Devin Gannon

In 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration opened just 10 out of the 20 shelters planned for New York City under an initiative aimed at curbing the city's growing homelessness crisis. Last February, the city unveiled its "Turning the Tide on Homelessness" plan that included opening 90 shelters over five years, with about 20 shelters each in 2017 and 2018. But, according to the New York Times, the city fell short of its target last year, opening just half the number of shelters planned due to delays in the permit process, time-consuming negotiations with nonprofits that run the shelters and backlash from the community and public officials. Under de Blasio, the homeless population has grown. When the mayor took office in 2014, about 68,000 New Yorkers were without homes. Today, roughly 77,000 people are considered homeless in NYC, with 3,900 on the street, the largest homeless population in the U.S.
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WeWork will open its office spaces to graduate students seeking online degrees

Photo via pixabay

January 22, 2018

WeWork will open its office spaces to graduate students seeking online degrees

By Devin Gannon

The co-working company WeWork made headlines in November for announcing its plan to open a private elementary school in New York City designed for "conscious entrepreneurship." Now, the company has an idea to appeal to a slightly older market: graduate students. According to Bloomberg, WeWork will partner with 2U Inc., an online education provider, to give students seeking an online graduate degree access to any of the co-working offices, with the ability to rent conference rooms for study groups and enjoy the fast WiFi.
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Policy

Cuomo says New York will pay $65K per day to keep Statue of Liberty open during shutdown

Photo of the Statue of Liberty courtesy of the NPS

January 22, 2018

Cuomo says New York will pay $65K per day to keep Statue of Liberty open during shutdown

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday said the state of New York will pay $65,000 per day to reopen the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island during the ongoing federal government shutdown, which forced the park to close over the weekend. Cuomo said the state made an agreement with the Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, to keep New York Harbor's landmark open. The government closed midnight on Saturday after Republican and Democrats in Congress failed to pass an appropriations bill. "The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom and opportunity for all, and it is a gross injustice that this administration's dysfunction caused it to shut down," Cuomo said. "When this administration tries to deport immigrants, when they close down the Statue of Liberty, they are attacking who we are."
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Policy

Here is what might temporarily close in New York City if the government shuts down

Federal Hall, photo courtesy of Wikimedia

January 19, 2018

Here is what might temporarily close in New York City if the government shuts down

By Devin Gannon

If you're an out-of-towner planning a classic, tourist-attraction-filled trip to New York City soon, you may want to rethink your visit. The U.S. government might be headed toward a shutdown, with its funding set to expire by midnight Friday. Although it's not totally clear yet what will be affected in NYC, the last government shutdown in 2013, which lasted 16 days, temporarily closed national parks and a few federally-funded museums citywide. While there's a chance the national parks and museums might choose to stay open, ahead find which ones might be affected in the event of a government shutdown.
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Under proposed congestion plan, driving a car into Manhattan will cost $11.52

Photo courtesy of Davide Gabino’s Flickr

January 19, 2018

Under proposed congestion plan, driving a car into Manhattan will cost $11.52

By Devin Gannon

Drivers entering the busiest areas of Manhattan might soon be required to pay $11.52 per trip under a congestion pricing plan expected to be released by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday. According to the New York Times, the proposal comes from an advisory panel "Fix NYC," a group assembled by the governor to explore ways to reduce congestion and also fund the city's strapped-for-cash transit system. Under the proposal, trucks would pay $25.34 and taxis would see a surcharge of $2 to $5 per ride if entering the "pricing zone," which would run south of 60th Street. Cuomo first introduced the idea of a congestion pricing plan to fund the MTA's transit repairs in August, after declaring the subway in a state of emergency earlier that summer.
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New York City’s first crosstown bike lanes proposed for Midtown

Photo via Wikimedia

January 18, 2018

New York City’s first crosstown bike lanes proposed for Midtown

By Devin Gannon

Crosstown protected bike lanes may finally come to Manhattan's Midtown neighborhood, the first of its kind in New York City. The city's Department of Transportation presented on Wednesday a series of proposals to create bike lanes that stretch from the East River to the Hudson River, traveling east to west instead of north to south. The first two protected lanes are proposed to run east on 26th Street and west on 29th Street, where an existing lane will be replaced. Officials are also looking to add a lane moving west on 55th Street and east on 52nd Street. DOT's move to add more protected bike lanes in Midtown comes after the city experienced an increase in the number of cyclist deaths in 2017, despite it being the safest year on record for traffic fatalities.
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New York City, Newark officially contenders for Amazon’s HQ2

Photo courtesy of Robert Scoble’s Flickr

January 18, 2018

New York City, Newark officially contenders for Amazon’s HQ2

By Devin Gannon

Amazon announced on Thursday it narrowed its list of potential cities for its second headquarters to 20, with New York City and Newark as candidates. The tech giant said it received 238 proposals, evaluating each based on the criteria outlined in their RFP and then selecting cities to move on to the next phase. The 20 chosen cities will now work with Amazon to provide any additional information needed, with the company expected to make a decision in 2018 about where its HQ2 will land.
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Policy

City to open homeless shelter adjacent to One57 on Billionaires’ Row

Image © 6sqft

January 18, 2018

City to open homeless shelter adjacent to One57 on Billionaires’ Row

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to open a new homeless shelter for 150 single adult men on Manhattan's Billionaires' Row, part of the city's initiative to open 90 new shelters over the next five years. According to the New York Post, a former hotel at 158 West 58th Street, the Park Savoy, will be converted into the shelter and open in March. The Central Park South building sits behind One57, a supertall known for the city's most expensive residential sale ever: a penthouse that sold for $100 million in 2015.
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Policy

Cuomo’s proposed MTA budget requires more funding from New York City

Photo of Cuomo via the governor’s Flickr

January 17, 2018

Cuomo’s proposed MTA budget requires more funding from New York City

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled on Tuesday his proposed $168 billion FY 2019 executive budget, aimed mostly at raising revenue and protecting New York taxpayers from future federal cuts with a possible restructuring of the state's tax code. “Washington hit a button and launched an economic missile and it says ‘New York’ on it, and it’s headed our way,” Cuomo said. “You know what my recommendation is? Get out of the way.” While the governor's budget clearly targets President Trump and his administration, it appears to impose more financial responsibility on Mayor Bill de Blasio as well, according to Politico New York. The budget includes three provisions that require the city to increase their funding of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, including making City Hall pay half of the authority's $836 million emergency action plan. So far, de Blasio has refused to provide any additional funds to the MTA.
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Could legalizing marijuana be the state’s solution to fixing the NYC subway?

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to present the state legislature this week with ways to fund the financially troubled Metropolitan Transportation Authority. On Tuesday, he released his $168 billion budget proposal for the fiscal year 2019, which includes a proposal for charging vehicles for driving in the busiest areas of Manhattan during peak hours, with the money raised going to mass transit. According to the Daily News, a Republican gubernatorial candidate has a different idea. Joel Giambra, a former Erie County executive who announced his bid for governor last week, said he wants to legalize marijuana to fund the city's desperately-needed transit repairs.
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New York City secured 24,500 affordable housing units last year, setting new record

Photo courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

January 16, 2018

New York City secured 24,500 affordable housing units last year, setting new record

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday announced another record-breaking affordable housing milestone: the city financed more than 24,500 affordable homes in 2017, the highest number in nearly three decades. Over the past four years, the de Blasio administration has created or preserved more than 87,500 affordable housing units, on pace to meet the city's goal of 300,000 units by 2026. Under "Housing New York 2.0," which the mayor unveiled in October, 25,000 affordable apartments will be secured each year until 2021. About half of the homes are set aside for individuals making $33,400 annually or $43,000 annually for a family of three.
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After funding lawsuit against Pier55 offshore park, Durst joins board of Hudson River Park Trust

Rendering via Pier55, Inc

January 16, 2018

After funding lawsuit against Pier55 offshore park, Durst joins board of Hudson River Park Trust

By Devin Gannon

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer appointed Douglas Durst on Friday to the board of the Hudson River Park Trust, a group he has frequently criticized over their proposed Pier55 project. Durst admitted last year to funding a lawsuit to stop the trust's plan for an off-shore park on the Hudson River. While billionaire businessman Barry Diller, who is funding the $250 million project, halted construction in September, the plan was restored a month later, with pressure and financial help from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Brewer told Crain's that Durst didn't volunteer, she asked him to join the board. "I think he loves the park," she said.
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City decides to keep controversial statue of Christopher Columbus

Photo via Creative Commons

January 12, 2018

City decides to keep controversial statue of Christopher Columbus

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday plans to keep the contentious Christopher Columbus memorial at Columbus Circle, following a 90-day review of the city's monuments and markets by a mayoral advisory commission. Although the statue will stay put at its Upper West Side location, the city plans to add new historical markers to explain the history of Columbus and also commission a new monument to honor Indigenous peoples. The statue of Theodore Roosevelt in front of the American Museum of Natural History and the plaque memorializing Henri Philippe Pétain in Lower Manhattan will also not be removed or relocated, but more information and context will be added to them.
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Policy

In heated legal battle, condo board says it has the right to remove Trump’s name

Trump Place Apartments courtesy of Nick Normal’s Flickr

January 11, 2018

In heated legal battle, condo board says it has the right to remove Trump’s name

By Devin Gannon

While never especially popular in his hometown, President Donald Trump's approval in New York City dropped even more so after his election. His unpopularity among New Yorkers has taken a toll on his real estate empire: both average sales price and the average price per square footage at the 11 Trump-branded condos fell below the average in this area for the first time ever. And some residents living in condos that bear the president's name have started petitions to remove Trump from the building's exterior. At one 48-story luxury building on the Upper West Side, residents are debating whether or not to remove his name. The condo board at 200 Riverside Boulevard, or "Trump Place," now potentially faces a lawsuit from DJT Holdings, a company owned by Trump, for seeking to remove the name, the New York Post reported.
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Policy

January 10, 2018

LPC sends glassy addition to Willem de Kooning’s former Union Square loft back to the drawing board

By Michelle Cohen

Back in November, the developer/owner of a pair of newly-landmarked buildings at 827-831 Broadway--noted for their cast-iron architecture and a rich cultural history that includes serving as home to 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. Yesterday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission received the proposal with mixed reviews, feeling skeptical about whether or not cultural events should influence a building's architecture. After hearing testimony from a slew of local residents and preservationists who feel the glass topper is too large, the LPC decided to take no action on the plan, instead sending the team back to the drawing board to better detail the restoration aspects and reconsider the addition as perhaps shorter and further setback.
More details and renderings ahead

New York to be first major city with flood maps based on climate change factors

A Howard Beach home after Hurricane Sandy, photo courtesy of Pamela Andrade’s Flickr

January 8, 2018

New York to be first major city with flood maps based on climate change factors

By Devin Gannon

For the first time since 1983, the Federal Emergency Mangement Agency is redrawing New York's flood maps, taking into account the consequences of climate change like rising sea levels and stronger storms. With hundreds of miles of coastline and a growing number of developments sprouting along its waterfront, New York has more residents living in high-risk flood zones than any other city in the United States, according to the New York Times. FEMA's new map, while still years away from completion, could have a profound effect on the city's future developments and zoning regulations. It could place more residents and buildings in high-risk flood zones, requiring pricey flood insurance as well as tougher building codes and restrictions on new developments.
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Policy

During two weeks of brutal cold, city received over 21,000 heat and hot water complaints

Photo courtesy of Roman Kruglov’s Flickr

January 8, 2018

During two weeks of brutal cold, city received over 21,000 heat and hot water complaints

By Devin Gannon

During a two week period of super cold weather, including a considerable snowstorm, New York City received nearly 22,000 heat and hot water complaints from renters. According to the Daily News, many of those calls came from residents living in New York City Housing Apartments. On Sunday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said a lack of federal funding and upkeep is to blame for the defective boilers found at NYCHA apartments. “A lot of the buildings are 50 years old, 60 years old, 70 years old — they have not gotten the kind of upkeep they needed for decades,” the mayor told John Catsimatidis on his radio show.
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Policy

Report claims Mayor de Blasio inflated benefits of Stuyvesant Town sale to preserve affordable housing

Photo courtesy of Stuy Town

January 5, 2018

Report claims Mayor de Blasio inflated benefits of Stuyvesant Town sale to preserve affordable housing

By Emily Nonko

The sprawling Stuyvesant Town complex on Manhattan's east side is no stranger to controversy and drama, and here's some more to add to the list. The city’s budget watchdog agency is saying that Mayor de Blasio’s office inflated the benefits of a deal to keep affordable housing at the complex in exchange for $220 million in taxpayer subsidies, according to the Daily News. This is based off the highly-publicized 2015 sale of Stuy Town, the biggest single deal done under de Blasio’s affordable housing plan. But a new report by the Independent Budget Office believes the city is getting less from the complex sales agreement than it claimed.
Get the scoop

Cuomo asks MTA to study possible subway extension from Manhattan to Red Hook

Red Hook waterfront, photo via Sunghwan Yoon on Flickr

January 3, 2018

Cuomo asks MTA to study possible subway extension from Manhattan to Red Hook

By Devin Gannon

Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday to study a possible extension of subway service from Lower Manhattan to a new station in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook. In addition to expanding transit options, the governor is also asking the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to consolidate maritime operations by relocating them to Sunset Park, as a way to free up space for community activities. The revitalization of Red Hook is Cuomo's 21st proposal expected to be delivered in his 2018 State of the State address on Wednesday.
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January 2, 2018

Designer couple transforms a landmarked Williamsburg schoolhouse into a modern abode

By Devin Gannon

Keren and Thomas Richter, the founders of Brooklyn-based design studio White Arrow, designed and renovated the top floor of a 1800s schoolhouse in South Williamsburg, converting the landmarked loft into a light-filled home. After purchasing the home in 2010, the couple reimagined the home with custom Victorian millwork, as well as salvaged doors, hardware, antique earthenware sinks and claw foot tubs. Known as the Historic Schoolhouse, the red-bricked building was designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2013.
See inside

Battle heats up over East Harlem park where a 760-foot tower is planned

Rendering of 321 East 96th Street via Perkins Eastman Architect

January 2, 2018

Battle heats up over East Harlem park where a 760-foot tower is planned

By Devin Gannon

Located on Second Avenue between East 96th Street and East 97th Street, the Marx Brothers Playground boasts a jungle gym and ball fields spread out over 1.5 acres. The East Harlem green space, which first opened in 1947 on land formerly occupied by the car barn of the Second Avenue Railway, has found itself at the center of a debate between preservationists and developers. As the New York Times reported, park advocates and city officials disagree on whether the parcel is considered a park or a playground. If it's a park, any plans to modify it require the approval from the State Legislature and the governor; playgrounds do not. While it seems irrelevant, the categorization of the land will determine whether a 68-story mixed-use tower will rise on its site, a project backed by city officials and affordable housing advocates.
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Gateway tunnel project faces another roadblock from the Trump administration

Photo via The Gateway Program Development Corporation

January 2, 2018

Gateway tunnel project faces another roadblock from the Trump administration

By Devin Gannon

The multi-billion-dollar plan to build a second rail tunnel under the Hudson River and fix the deteriorating existing one has hit another setback after President Donald Trump's administration said on Friday it would not fund half of the project. As Crain's first reported, the Federal Transit Administration wrote a letter to Govs. Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie in response to their revised plan to fund $5.5 billion of the $12.7 billion project. A top FTA official said the administration would not recognize the prior deal made between President Barack Obama and the states, calling it "a non-existent '50/50' agreement between USDOT, New York, and New Jersey."
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Why do transit projects in NYC cost more than anywhere else in the world?

Construction workers giving a tour of the Second Avenue subway in 2015, photo via the MTA on Flickr

December 29, 2017

Why do transit projects in NYC cost more than anywhere else in the world?

By Devin Gannon

Even as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has cut costs on basic maintenance, they have allowed trade unions, construction companies and consulting firms to negotiate exorbitant deals on transit projects, with little intervention from officials. According to an investigation by the New York Times, labor unions have secured deals requiring construction sites be staffed as many as four times more workers than anywhere else in the world. Construction companies have increased their projected costs by up to 50 percent when bidding for work from the MTA and consulting firms have convinced the authority to spend an excessive amount on design and management. Caught up in the bureaucracy of the industry, neither public officials nor the authority have attempted to contain the spending.
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Should Uber and Lyft riders pay a fee for clogging Manhattan’s busiest streets?

Traffic in NYC, photo via joiseyshowaa on Flickr

December 27, 2017

Should Uber and Lyft riders pay a fee for clogging Manhattan’s busiest streets?

By Devin Gannon

As New York City’s failure-prone subway system continues to disappoint, some commuters are turning to ride-hailing services like Uber or Lyft to reach their destinations instead. While getting picked up by a car is easy, especially in the busiest areas of Manhattan, the bumper-to-bumper traffic makes getting anywhere actually more difficult. A report released by Bruce Schaller, a former deputy city transportation commissioner, found that one-third of ride-hailing cars and yellow cabs are often driving on the city's most congested blocks without any passengers, creating unnecessary traffic (h/t New York Times). As a way to reduce car congestion, officials are considering a new fee on for-hire vehicles, possibly a way to raise money for the strapped-for-cash MTA.
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