Policy

March 23, 2018

Overhaul of Landmarks rules faces criticism from preservation groups

Photo via CityRealty Earlier this year, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) unveiled a series of new proposed rules, which the group says will streamline the application process and improve transparency. One of the proposed changes, which calls for more oversight by LPC staff but less time for public review, has some preservation groups criticizing the commission. Preservationists worry this new rule change would not take into account public opinion, as it limits the opportunity for testimony and comment on the application.
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Policy

March 23, 2018

Jerome Avenue rezoning and Peninsula complex to bring thousands of affordable units to the Bronx

By Devin Gannon

Rendering of the Peninsula by BLA + WXY The New York City Council on Thursday unanimously approved the rezoning of 92-blocks along Jerome Avenue in the Bronx, bounded by East 165th Street to the south and 184th Street to the north. As the fourth neighborhood rezoning of Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration, the city plans to construct about 4,600 new apartments, adding to the mayor's goal of bringing 300,000 units of housing to the city by 2026. The council has set aside $189 million in capital investment for workforce development, open space, parks and two new schools (h/t City Limits). A plan to bring even more affordable housing to the Bronx got the green light on Thursday after the Council approved The Peninsula, a $300 million plan to redevelop the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Center as a mixed-use development.
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Despite declining service, MTA will most likely raise fares in 2019

Image via Ged Carroll’s Flickr

March 22, 2018

Despite declining service, MTA will most likely raise fares in 2019

By Devin Gannon

Without another option to bring in revenue to the cash-strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority, straphangers will most likely have to pay higher fares next year. The fare hike would be the sixth since 2009 when the state legislature approved a financial rescue plan that included increasing fares every other year. While funding for the financially-troubled authority continues to be negotiated among lawmakers before the state's budget deadline next month, MTA Chairman Joe Lhota told the Daily News he did not see a scenario where the fares could remain the same.
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Kushner Companies filed false documents about their rent-regulated tenants in NYC

170-174 East Second Street, where Kushner filed false permits, photo via Google Maps

March 19, 2018

Kushner Companies filed false documents about their rent-regulated tenants in NYC

By Emily Nonko

Update 3/22/18: The Daily News reports that the Department of Buildings is investigating more than 12 properties where Kushner Companies is said to have filed false paperwork in relation to rent-regulated tenants. Kushner Cos. has denied the allegations and said yesterday they are the victims of "politically motivated attacks." Controversies continue to pile up for Kushner Companies, the Manhattan development firm led by Jared Kushner until he left last year for the White House. Besides the major financial troubles of their office tower 666 Fifth Avenue, the firm was caught routinely filing false paperwork with the city, "declaring it had zero rent-regulated tenants in dozens of buildings it owned across the city when, in fact, it had hundreds," according to the AP. Housing Rights Initiative, a New York tenants’ rights watchdog, compiled the work permit application documents. Aaron Carr, the founder, called the act "bare-faced greed," adding that "the fact that the company was falsifying all these applications with the government shows a sordid attempt to avert accountability and get a rapid return on its investment."
It happened at least 80 times

Coney Island boardwalk likely to be landmarked

Image: Shinya Suzuki via Flickr

March 16, 2018

Coney Island boardwalk likely to be landmarked

By Michelle Cohen

Image: Shinya Suzuki via Flickr After repeatedly declining to protect the celebrated walkway–even as its wooden planks become increasingly replaced with concrete and plastic as a result of Superstorm Sandy repairs–the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has agreed to add the historic Coney Island Boardwalk to the agency's list of properties to consider for protected status, according to remarks made at a LPC hearing Thursday, Crain's reports. LPC chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said the boardwalk–its official name is the Riegelmann Boardwalk–could be protected as early as this spring or summer.
It could happen in time for summer

Policy

Paul Ryan warns NY and NJ that Trump won’t fund Gateway Tunnel project

Tunnel photo via The Gateway Program Development Corporation; Paul Ryan photo via Gage Skidmore/Flickr

March 15, 2018

Paul Ryan warns NY and NJ that Trump won’t fund Gateway Tunnel project

By Dana Schulz

Amtrak and New Jersey Transit's Northeast Corridor--that which connects the state to Manhattan via the Hudson River tunnels--creates more than $50 billion in economic activity annually. And the region as a whole is home to 30 percent of all U.S. jobs, amounting to $3 trillion a year for the economy. But despite Donald Trump's eagerness to both stimulate the economy and bring jobs back from overseas, he seems unphased by the dire need to construct a new rail tunnel to replace those built in 1910 that suffered major damage during Hurricane Sandy. According to Politico, in a meeting yesterday with New York and New Jersey Republicans, Speaker Paul Ryan made it clear that he will not include the $30 billion Gateway Tunnel project in the upcoming $1 trillion+ omnibus spending package if it means Trump will veto the bill, claiming that the President can't stop talking about his opposition to what's largely considered the most important infrastructure project in the nation.
All the details

March 15, 2018

In anticipation of a Landmarks overhaul, maps lay out the commission’s applications and decisions

By Emily Nonko

This January, the Landmarks Preservation Commission released a series of amendments that would overhaul how the commission reviews certain applications--with the idea to cut down the time it takes to approve routine applications. And later this month, on Tuesday, March 27th, the Commission will hold a public hearing on how these changes would affect the city's landmark process. In advance of the meeting, the Municipal Art Society of New York created a pair of interactive maps to better inform New Yorkers on the LPC's process. One map, the Commission Review Map, shows what type of alterations have been permitted or denied by the full LPC commission. The other, the Staff Review Map, shows what type of alterations have been permitted by the LPC staff or withdrawn by the applicant. As MAS puts it, "We hope these maps help bring to light how the LPC fulfills its 'purpose of safeguarding the buildings and places that represent New York City’s cultural, social, economic, political, and architectural history' through regulation."
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Policy

NYC’s homeless shelter population would make it the 10th largest city in the state

Via Pexels

March 14, 2018

NYC’s homeless shelter population would make it the 10th largest city in the state

By Dana Schulz

Earlier this year, Mayor de Blasio was criticized for failing to open 10 of the 20 homeless shelters his administration pledged for 2017, with "delays in the permit process, time-consuming negotiations with nonprofits that run the shelters, and backlash from the community and public officials" to blame. The push came from the fact that NYC has the largest homeless population in the U.S., climbing near 78,000. All of this coupled together, the situation is now looking even more dire, as the Coalition for the Homeless' annual State of the Homeless Report finds that a record high number of New Yorkers make up the city's nightly homeless shelter population. This number, 63,495 (which includes 23,600 children), would make that group the 10th largest city in the state, notes the Daily News.
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Policy

MTA hit with federal lawsuit over lack of wheelchair accessibility

Elevator at the Lincoln Center subway station, via Wiki Commons

March 14, 2018

MTA hit with federal lawsuit over lack of wheelchair accessibility

By Michelle Cohen

The MTA has found itself on the wrong end of a lawsuit by the feds for failing to make its subway stations wheelchair-accessible. On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman joined a lawsuit accusing the agency of not adding assistance for disabled riders when renovating stations, the New York Post reports. The suit began in 2016 when a civic agency in the Bronx accused the MTA of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by not creating wheelchair access at the Middletown Road station. The suit should come as no surprise; as 6sqft previously reported, fewer than 1/4 of New York City's subway stations are fully wheelchair-accessible–only 117 out of 472. In fact, NYC ranks the least accessible out of the country’s ten largest metro systems–all of LA’s 93 stations and DC’s 91, for example, are fully accessible.
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This map shows you the vacant lots in NYC that were sold by the city for $1

Image via onedollarlots.org

March 12, 2018

This map shows you the vacant lots in NYC that were sold by the city for $1

By Michelle Cohen

If you live in New York City, and you're hoping to own–or trying to buy–property, you might not want to hear about vacant lots being given away for $1. But this is really a thing: An interesting little map courtesy of the One Dollar Lots project by 596 acres shows us where in New York City, according to Untapped Cities, city-owned lots of land have been sold to developers for $1 since the current mayor took office in January 2014. These $1 deals often happen as token transactions as part of a development incentive for prospective buyers, who will eventually need to prove they possess plans and the means to carry out their vision.
Investigate the map, this way

Policy

MTA $1M Genius Transit Challenge winners suggest faster trains and robot workers to fix subway hell

By Michelle Cohen

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has announced the winners of the agency's MTA Genius Transit Challenge; eight winners will split a $1 million prize for their ideas and concepts on how to upgrade the city's creaky and complaint-riddled subway system. The contest is part of an effort to bring the subway's capacity and reliability up to speed. The challenge is a joint venture between the MTA and Partnership for New York City. The challenge received over 400 submissions from around the world.
Check out these genius ideas

Amid HUD delays, city launches ‘Where We Live NYC’ process to fight segregation and unequal access

Image: NYC HPD

March 9, 2018

Amid HUD delays, city launches ‘Where We Live NYC’ process to fight segregation and unequal access

By Michelle Cohen

While the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) continues to sidle away from its job of preventing housing discrimination, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) in partnership with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) have stepped up with a comprehensive fair housing planning process to head off segregation in New York City. The city announced today the launch of Where We Live NYC, a fair housing plan to fight segregation and unequal access. The plan outlines a process to study, understand, and address patterns of residential segregation and how these patterns impact access to opportunity, including jobs, education, safety, public transit and health. The plan will include extensive community participation and provide data and policy analysis that will culminate in the release of a public report that outlines measurable goals and strategies for fostering inclusive communities, promoting fair housing and increasing access to opportunity.
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Policy

March 5, 2018

Concept renderings for West Midtown skyscraper show super-slender ‘high performance office tower’

By Michelle Cohen

Architecture firm RB Systems has just published a set of renderings that explore the new supertall tower typology that's been gaining popularity in New York City in recent years. First spotted by New York Yimby, the "New York’s Super Slender” tower in the renderings is shown on a small (only 30 meters by 30 meters) vacant West Midtown site at 265 West 45th Street. The tower was designed to squeeze onto a 98-foot wide lot, which would put it among New York City's most slender towers. Rising 1,312 feet high, the theoretical building would provide modern, ergonomic, sustainable office spaces. The project reflects a likely path for skyscraper design in the coming years, when the city's towers will need to meet the challenges of dense city centers and a dearth of large vacant lots coupled with a demand for new properties.
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Real estate investor wants Amazon to build second headquarters on a Hudson River landfill

Courtesy of Charles Urdstadt

March 2, 2018

Real estate investor wants Amazon to build second headquarters on a Hudson River landfill

By Devin Gannon

After landing on Amazon's list of 20 potential cities for its second headquarters in January, New York City is one step closer to securing $5 billion in city investment and 50,000 high paying jobs. Although the city pitched four neighborhoods for the tech-giants' HQ2 (Midtown West, Long Island City, the Brooklyn Tech Triangle, and Lower Manhattan), one investor has a different, less grounded location in mind. Real estate mogul Charles Urstadt took out an ad in the New York Post on Friday detailing his plan to bring Amazon to a landfill in the Hudson River.
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Policy

St. Patrick’s Cathedral to get $7.2M from sale of air rights under Midtown East rezoning

St Patrick’s Cathedral via Wikimedia

March 2, 2018

St. Patrick’s Cathedral to get $7.2M from sale of air rights under Midtown East rezoning

By Devin Gannon

Editor's Note: The owners of 405 Park Avenue are set to buy the development rights from St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Real Deal reports. MRP Realty and Deutsche Bank Asset Management will add four floors and 205,000 square feet of office space to their existing building. JPMorgan Chase and Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week plans for the first project under the city's Midtown East rezoning: a 70-story tower to replace its old offices at the same Park Avenue site. And with the Archdiocese of New York this week reaching a tentative deal to sell 30,000 square feet of development rights from St. Patrick's Cathedral, the second project under the new rezoning could quickly follow. According to Crain's, if the sale happens the Archdiocese could pick up at least $7.2 million in air rights.
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The end of the MetroCard could mean fare capping, better bus boarding, and real-time data

Image via Cubic Transportation Systems

February 28, 2018

The end of the MetroCard could mean fare capping, better bus boarding, and real-time data

By Dana Schulz

The MTA’s new cardless fare system will completely phase out the MetroCard by 2023, and transit advocates from the TransitCenter and the Tri-State Transportation Campaign believe there's more to gain here than strictly streamlining the swiping process. In a report released this week titled "A New Way to Ride," the groups outline three main policy opportunities available through the new fare system--seamless bus boarding, fare capping, and enhanced service information--all of which have been implemented in other cities with similar payment technology.
All the details ahead

MTA approves more than $200M in cosmetic improvements for eight subway stations

Two stations at 34th Street will be renovated; photo via dog97209 on Flickr

February 23, 2018

MTA approves more than $200M in cosmetic improvements for eight subway stations

By Devin Gannon

The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved on Thursday a $213 million plan to rehabilitate eight subway stations, despite objections from the authority's city representatives. Under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $1 billion Enhanced Station Initiative, the stations--six in Manhattan and two in the Bronx-- will get outfitted with USB ports, LED lighting, digital countdown clocks and artwork (h/t New York Times). The board first delayed the vote on the construction contracts in January after board members, appointed by Mayor de Blasio, questioned the necessity of these cosmetic improvements when the system's infrastructure remains in desperate need of repair.
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Image via Pixabay

February 22, 2018

NYC developments get smart: A look at the latest residential building technologies

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

In a refreshingly non-"Black Mirror" way, many NYC residential developments are taking advantage of new technologies, like keyless door entry systems and digital concierges, not to replace humans but rather enhance them. These building technologies are making residents’ lives easier while prioritizing the importance of face-to-face interaction. According to a joint cnet/Coldwell Banker survey, “81 percent of current smart-home device owners say they would be more willing to buy a home with connected tech in place.” Clearly, developers got that message. Many new buildings in NYC are incorporating technology into their developments to enhance service as well as increase residents' personal security and privacy.
Get the scoop on all the latest tech

February 21, 2018

Conceptual proposal envisions futuristic mixed-use NYC project with micro units and drone landings

By Devin Gannon

Although Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last year new mandates to force building owners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a way to fight climate change, a Dallas-based architecture firm has taken the idea of sustainable design to the next level. During last month's International Builder's Show, Humphreys & Partners presented a conceptual plan for a mixed-use project on Manhattan's waterfront. In Pier 2: Apartment of the Future, the architects tackled major issues prevalent in many cities, like affordability and energy efficiency (h/t Curbed NY). The futuristic proposal includes two towers with modular and micro-units, which would boast futuristic amenities like artificial intelligence, drones, home automation and more.
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New 70-story JPMorgan Chase tower will be the first project under Midtown East rezoning

A model of what the future 270 Park Ave building might look like via CityRealty

February 21, 2018

New 70-story JPMorgan Chase tower will be the first project under Midtown East rezoning

By Devin Gannon

Mayor Bill de Blasio and JPMorgan Chase announced on Wednesday plans to build a new 70-story world headquarters at the site of the bank's current offices at 270 Park Avenue, the first project under the East Midtown Rezoning plan. Approved by the City Council in August, the rezoning affects 78 blocks running from East 39th Street to East 57th Street and from Third Avenue to Madison Avenue. The updated zoning code is expected to clear the way for 6.5 million square feet of modern office space and allow for taller buildings. JPMorgan Chase's new building will have enough room for about 15,000 employees, compared to the old building's capacity of just 3,500 employees.
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With permit to dig, Elon Musk’s plan for a 29-minute ride between NYC and D.C. inches forward

The tunnel-digging machine; photo via The Boring Company

February 20, 2018

With permit to dig, Elon Musk’s plan for a 29-minute ride between NYC and D.C. inches forward

By Devin Gannon

The Boring Company, led by Elon Musk, received a building permit this week from the Washington, D.C. government, potentially jumpstarting the tech entrepreneur's plan to bring a high-speed tube system between New York City and D.C. Although Musk said last summer he received "verbal" approval from officials, the new, written permit allows preparatory and excavation work to begin on a parking lot on New York Avenue in D.C., the Washington Post reported. The Hyperloop One would be able to take passengers from NYC to D.C., with stops in Philadelphia and Baltimore, in just 29 minutes via a tube moved by electric propulsion.
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RPA report envisions New Jersey’s Meadowlands as the first ‘Climate Change National Park’

Via ORG Permanent Modernity/Regional Plan Association

February 14, 2018

RPA report envisions New Jersey’s Meadowlands as the first ‘Climate Change National Park’

By Devin Gannon

Released last fall, the Regional Plan Association's (RPA) Fourth Plan includes 61 recommendations focused on improving and expanding the area's deteriorating infrastructure, transportation, and affordability, much of which revolves around climate change and its transformation of the region. According to the report, more than one million people and 650,000 jobs are at risk of flooding due to rising sea levels. In the plan, the RPA ambitiously recommends that the New Jersey Meadowlands, 21,000 acres of low-lying wetlands, becomes a national park as a way to mitigate impacts of climate change (h/t Curbed). Designating the region's largest wetland as a national park would restore the natural habits, protect nearby communities, and create a recreational space, becoming, the report says, a "Climate Change National Park." The Meadowlands National Park would adapt and grow with climate change by drawing and redrawing the boundaries of the park as coastlines change.
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The city will produce 500 affordable apartments across 87 hard-to-fill vacant lots

Image: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

February 14, 2018

The city will produce 500 affordable apartments across 87 hard-to-fill vacant lots

By Michelle Cohen

An announcement Tuesday by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) gave lower-income New Yorkers lots to look forward to–literally. HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer announced that nine development teams would be creating 490 affordable apartments and homeownership opportunities on 87 vacant lots through the department's New Infill Homeownership Opportunities Program (NIHOP) and Neighborhood Construction Program (NCP). The programs were designed specifically to unlock the potential of vacant lots long considered too small or irregular for traditional housing with innovative smaller homes, and develop more affordable housing on lots long used for parking at existing housing complexes. This latest round of development is the third and final in a series: The program has already seen the construction of over 600 affordable homes on 81 lots.
'No site has gone overlooked'

See NYC’s hot spots in real-time on Snapchat’s new crowd-sourced web map

Photo via Pexels

February 13, 2018

See NYC’s hot spots in real-time on Snapchat’s new crowd-sourced web map

By Devin Gannon

Snapchat on Monday announced that its "Snap Map," a feature which allows users to view posts from around the world, will be available on the web, giving those without the social media app a chance to check out events happening near them. In addition to now existing outside of the Snapchat app, the browser version of the map lets snappers embed content from the map onto web pages, much like how Twitter or Instagram permits (h/t WIRED). Hot spots on the map, areas with lots of posts, glow green or blue; heavy traffic locations light up red and orange. Today in New York users are filling up "Our Story" with posts from New York Fashion Week, the September 11th Memorial, and the Empire State Building.
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Policy

Trump’s long-awaited infrastructure plan won’t fund Gateway project

Photo via The Gateway Program Development Corporation

February 12, 2018

Trump’s long-awaited infrastructure plan won’t fund Gateway project

By Devin Gannon

President Donald Trump on Monday released his $200 billion infrastructure plan and it does not look good for New York and New Jersey. Because the plan shifts the financial burden from the federal government onto states and localities, relying on incentives to spur private investment, major projects will struggle to find funding. This includes the Gateway Tunnel project, a proposal to construct a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River and repair the existing one. As the only intercity passenger rail crossing into NYC from NJ, the tunnel is a critical link for nearly 200,000 daily passengers. While the Obama administration considered Gateway a priority and committed half of the project's cost in 2015, the Trump administration has scoffed at the idea.
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Policy

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