City Council

NYC Council considers turning mass gravesite on Hart Island into a city park

Photo of Hart Island via Flickr

May 31, 2019

NYC Council considers turning mass gravesite on Hart Island into a city park

One of the country's largest burial ground may become a city park. The New York City Council is considering making Hart Island, an island located off of the Bronx coast where roughly one million people have been buried since the Civil War, more accessible to visitors. Because the city's Department of Correction (DOC) currently maintains the site and hires inmates from Rikers Island to bury bodies there, access remains restricted. During a hearing Thursday, the City Council introduced a package of legislation aimed at improving Hart Island, including one bill that would transfer control of the land from the DOC to the city's parks department.
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Policy

NYC Council votes to close mechanical void loophole

Rendering of 50 West 66th Street; courtesy of Binyan Studios/ Snøhetta

May 30, 2019

NYC Council votes to close mechanical void loophole

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council on Wednesday voted to close a zoning loophole that has allowed developers to fill multiple floors of a tower with mechanical equipment without counting the floors as part of the building. The so-called mechanical void loophole enabled taller residential towers, and therefore higher, more expensive units, without actually creating more housing. The amendment approved by the Council will count mechanical voids taller than 25 feet as zoning floor area, as Crain's reported.
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Policy

NYC Council approves 17 tenant protection bills, including one that closes ‘Kushner loophole’

Via Flickr

May 9, 2019

NYC Council approves 17 tenant protection bills, including one that closes ‘Kushner loophole’

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council on Wednesday passed a package of 17 bills intended to protect tenants from landlord abuse. The legislation includes closing the so-called "Kushner loophole," which had allowed landlords to file false paperwork with the city's Department of Buildings. The bill comes a year after President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner's family's firm, Kushner Companies, was found to have falsely claimed it had no rent-regulated tenants in dozens of buildings it owned when it actually had hundreds.
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Policy

NYC Council approves JPMorgan’s 70-story Midtown East tower

Via Flickr

May 9, 2019

NYC Council approves JPMorgan’s 70-story Midtown East tower

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council on Wednesday approved the first supertall to be constructed under the Midtown East rezoning. JPMorgan Chase will build a new 70-story headquarters at the site of its current offices at 270 Park Avenue. The rezoning, adopted by the city in 2017, affects more than 70 blocks around Grand Central Terminal and encourages the construction of taller, more modern office towers in the neighborhood. Designed by Norman Foster's Foster + Partners, the 1,400-foot building is set to become one of the tallest structures in the city and the tallest office building by roof height.
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Policy

Staten Island intersection is renamed to honor legacy of the Wu-Tang Clan

Photo by Jeff Reed, courtesy of NYC Council/Flickr

May 6, 2019

Staten Island intersection is renamed to honor legacy of the Wu-Tang Clan

By Alexandra Alexa

Following a unanimous New York City Council vote back in December, The Wu-Tang Clan was made a permanent part of New York City on Saturday when the Park Hill neighborhood of Staten Island was renamed The Wu-Tang Clan District. As CNN first reported, city officials, fans, community members, and several Wu-Tang members gathered for the unveiling of the new street sign—located at the corner of Targee Street and Vanderbilt Avenue, where the music video for "Can It All Be So Simple" was filmed—that makes it official. "I never saw this day coming," Ghostface Killah said in a speech at the event. "I knew we were some ill MCs, but I didn't know that it'd take it this far."
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Celebrities

Proposed law forces big NYC buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030

Via Pexels

April 18, 2019

Proposed law forces big NYC buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030

By Devin Gannon

New York City is ramping up its fight against climate change with a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from high-rise buildings by 40 percent over the next decade. The City Council is expected to pass on Thursday an eight-bill legislative package that has been called its own version of the Green New Deal. The most ambitious bill of the lot requires NYC buildings 25,000 square feet or bigger to meet new standards to reduce greenhouse gas outputs by upgrading them with energy-efficient technology.
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City’s plans to allocate $500M to affordable senior housing not progressing as anticipated

Image via Wikimedia Commons

April 11, 2019

City’s plans to allocate $500M to affordable senior housing not progressing as anticipated

By Alexandra Alexa

Last June, the city committed $500 million toward a plan to construct 1,000 new apartments for low-income senior citizens, but now almost a year later those plans are moving forward much slower than expected, Politico reports. The plan had identified six potential sites—two at New York City Housing Authority properties Kingsborough Houses in Brooklyn and Morris Houses in the Bronx, and four on other city-owned lots—but so far the city has only requested developer proposals for one of those sites.
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NYC Council Members to introduce legislation that limits security deposits and broker fees

Via CityRealty

February 13, 2019

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

By Devin Gannon

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

Amazon will fight efforts to unionize by NYC workforce

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

January 31, 2019

Amazon will fight efforts to unionize by NYC workforce

By Devin Gannon

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

Council bill would require NYC developers to disclose relationships with public officials

Via Wikimedia

January 9, 2019

Council bill would require NYC developers to disclose relationships with public officials

By Devin Gannon

Real estate developers would be required to disclose prior relationships with politicians before signing any deals with the city under a new bill being introduced Wednesday by Council Member Ben Kallos. The legislation would also make developers reveal their ownership interests and their Minority Women Business Enterprise status. "Well-connected developers should not be getting sweetheart deals on the taxpayer's dime," Kallos said in an email.
About the bill

Policy

City Council votes to name NYC streets after Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan, and Woodie Guthrie

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council last week unanimously voted to co-name streets in honor of three NYC music icons, Notorious B.I.G., the Wu-Tang Clan, and folk singer Woody Guthrie, Gothamist reported. If the bills are signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, the block in Brooklyn where B.I.G. grew up will be called Christopher Wallace Way, after the rapper's birth name, Staten Island's Vanderbilt Avenue and Targee Street will be known as the Wu-Tang Clan District, and Woodie Guthrie Way will be found on Mermaid Avenue, marking where the singer lived in Coney Island.
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Policy

Via CityRealty

November 30, 2018

NYC Council to grill city leaders on Amazon deal

By Devin Gannon

Citing concerns about the closed-door deal that drove Amazon to choose Long Island City as home for its second headquarters, the New York City Council announced it will host three hearings to question both city leaders and company exeuctives. Council Speaker Corey Johnson said the first hearing will take place on Dec. 12 to look at how the deal happened, as the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. "One of the major perversions of this is that was all done behind closed doors, with nondisclosure agreements, and without the public or elected officials who weren't including feeling like they had any say," Johnson told the WSJ.
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Policy

City Council approves 80 Flatbush development in Downtown Brooklyn

Rendering of the 986-foot tower (left) and revised 840-foot tower (right) via Alloy Development and Luxigon

September 27, 2018

City Council approves 80 Flatbush development in Downtown Brooklyn

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council voted on Wednesday to approve 80 Flatbush, a five-building mixed-use development planned for Downtown Brooklyn, Curbed NY reported. The approval comes after negotiations last week between Alloy Development and Council Member Stephen Levin, who represents the area, which led to a shorter, less-dense complex. After the developers agreed to cut the height of two buildings, one from 986 feet to 840 feet and another from 560 to 510 feet, the Council's subcommittee on zoning voted in favor of the project.
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Real Estate Trends

September 21, 2018

Plan for eight-story hotel next to historic Merchant’s House Museum faces major setback

By Michelle Cohen

In June, a petition was filed in New York Supreme Court to prevent the construction of an eight-story hotel next door to the historic Merchant’s House Museum in the East Village. Now, Curbed reports, the proposal to build the hotel was unanimously rejected Thursday by the City Council’s subcommittee on zoning and franchises. The 186-year-old townhouse belonged to hardware merchant Seabury Tredwell, who bought the 10,000-square-foot residence for $18,000 in 1832.
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NYC Council legislation and electric buses may aid L train shutdown agony

Via Wikimedia

September 13, 2018

NYC Council legislation and electric buses may aid L train shutdown agony

By Michelle Cohen

Several bills were passed in New York City Council on Wednesday to help address the inconvenience and traffic chaos expected during the planned 15-month L train tunnel closure for repairs due to damage from Hurricane Sandy, slated to begin in April 2019. The legislation calls for information centers in both Brooklyn and Manhattan, complaint investigation resources, and the fast-tracking of a new electric bus fleet, Curbed reports.
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Transit

NYC Council passes one-year cap on Uber and Lyft

Via joiseyshowaa on Flickr

August 9, 2018

NYC Council passes one-year cap on Uber and Lyft

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Council approved on Wednesday a package of legislation to regulate for-hire vehicles, like Uber and Lyft, making New York the first major city to cap new licenses. The legislation will stop issuing licenses to for-hire vehicles for one year, as the city studies the growing industry. And a minimum wage, which could start at $17.22 an hour, will be established for app-based drivers, which no city has done before.
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Via CityRealty

August 7, 2018

De Blasio signs bill forcing Airbnb to disclose names and addresses of hosts

By Devin Gannon

Update 8/7/18: Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday signed into law a bill that cracks down on the number of illegal Airbnb listings in New York City. Taking effect in February 2019, the new law requires the company to disclose the names and addresses of its hosts. The information will be turned over to the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement. The New York City Council passed a bill on Wednesday that requires Airbnb and other home-sharing sites to provide the names and addresses of its hosts to the city. Under state law, it remains illegal in most buildings to rent out an apartment for less than 30 days unless the permanent tenant is there. Just hours before the council unanimously voted for this legislation, an Airbnb host from Brooklyn, Stanley Karol, sued the city in federal court for fining him $30,000 after speaking out against the bill. "I believe that the City has sought to silence me, by not only saddling me with massive fines, but also making me feel unsafe in my own home," Karol said.
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NYC commits $500M in plan to build thousands of affordable apartments for seniors on unused land

Photo via Wiki Commons

June 13, 2018

NYC commits $500M in plan to build thousands of affordable apartments for seniors on unused land

By Michelle Cohen

As part of the new city budget, New York City has committed $500 million toward a plan to construct thousands of new apartments for low-income senior citizens on vacant public housing land, the Wall Street Journal reports. The new units would also free up existing NYCHA units currently occupied by seniors for people currently on wait lists for housing.
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Luxury condos may be off the table at Crown Heights armory after City Council hearing

Rendering of the Bedford Courts development planned for the Bedford-Union Armory; image: BFC Partners/Bedford Courts

November 15, 2017

Luxury condos may be off the table at Crown Heights armory after City Council hearing

By Michelle Cohen

Amid growing opposition, the proposed Crown Heights Bedford-Union Armory redevelopment project began its evaluation by the City Council at a hearing Tuesday on land use applications filed by the Economic Development Corporation (EDC), amNewYork reports. The massive armory, once housing for the National Guard, became city property in 2013. The EDC plans to sell the property to developer BFC Partners for the creation of 56 condos, of which 20 percent would be income restricted. The remaining market rate condos would help pay for the rest of the project, which would be leased by BFC Partners and would include 330 rentals (165 affordable), office space and a recreation center. Critics say the city is setting a dangerous precedent by leasing public land for private use, especially when market-rate condos are included. The de Blasio administration has championed the recreation center and housing, but the plan has has come under fire by neighborhood advocacy groups and has had an uphill battle in achieving the City Council approval it needs.
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$2.75 congestion fee proposed for cars entering Manhattan south of 60th Street

Image via Pexels

June 5, 2017

$2.75 congestion fee proposed for cars entering Manhattan south of 60th Street

By Michelle Cohen

Image via Pexels Advocacy group Move NY has suggested that the city impose a congestion charge on motorists driving on Manhattan's most crowded streets. Similar proposals haven't fared well in the state legislature–but the group cites a 1957 state law that says cities with a population of over a million can toll their own roadways and bridges. The Wall Street Journal reports that Move NY will offer the City Council's transportation committee a new proposal today under which the city would impose a $2.75 charge on automobiles entering Manhattan's central business district below 60th Street. The fee for trucks would be higher; for-hire vehicles including taxis would pay a congestion surcharge based on trips within the zone.
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Transit

April 25, 2017

New bill would force landlords to disclose bedbug infestations

By Devin Gannon

Whether you want to know or not, NYC landlords may soon be required to tell you of any past or current bedbug infestations in your building when you sign or renew a lease. As reported by the NY Post, a new city council bill would force landlords to file infestation histories with the Department of Housing and Preservation Development and to either publicly post them in the buildings or distribute them to tenants. The agency would also require all histories to be posted on their website.
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Policy

Mayor pulls Theater District air rights plan after disputes with City Council over floor price

Image via Wiki Commons

February 28, 2017

Mayor pulls Theater District air rights plan after disputes with City Council over floor price

By Michelle Cohen

Image via Wiki Commons The de Blasio administration pulled the plug Monday on proposed legislation that would give the city a 20 percent cut of any air rights sales in midtown Manhattan's Theater District, according to Crain's. The reversal followed disputes with City Council members over a key element–a floor price for the sales. The proposal had been part of a long effort to get theater owners to up the amount they contribute to a fund used for venue maintenance and support for smaller theaters. There is now speculation as to whether the move could cast a shadow on the administration's Midtown East rezoning plan, which is a similar policy initiative.
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Policy

January 11, 2017

Area businesses estimate $40M in lost revenue because of Trump Tower ‘occupied zone’

By Michelle Cohen

President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to remain in his Manhattan HQ is causing concern among businesses in the area. Business leaders and local officials spoke out Tuesday at a City Council hearing on the threat that blocked sidewalks and traffic snarls are posing to jobs, tax revenues, tourist appeal and “global reputation,” reports Crain’s. Local merchants claim they’ve taken a significant hit, and that many are considering not renewing their leases or moving elsewhere. Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District president Tom Cusack estimated that local businesses have lost $40 million in revenue since Election Day due to the security maze that the area surrounding Trump Tower has become.
Business leaders call for 'extraordinary action'

Celebrities

November 17, 2016

City Planning Commission votes to raise fee for Theater District air rights transfers

By Michelle Cohen

The City Planning Commission has voted to up the cost of air rights transfers in the special Midtown Manhattan district that includes Broadway's theaters, The Real Deal reports. Currently, when developers purchase air rights from theaters between West 40th and West 57th Streets from Sixth to Eighth Avenues, they pay $17.60 per square foot to the Theater Subdistrict Fund. Transferable development rights can usually only be used for adjacent properties, but the city created the special district in 1998 to help the theater industry thrive amid sharply rising real estate prices; within the district, air rights can be moved more freely in a larger area outside the usual “arms length” restrictions.
What does this mean for Broadway theaters?

Policy

September 15, 2016

City Council approves La Central development, bringing nearly 1,000 affordable units to the Bronx

By Michelle Cohen

On Wednesday the New York City Council voted to approve the La Central development project in the Melrose section of the Bronx, the Daily News reports. The project, which will be designed by FXFOWLE architects, is slated to bring 992 apartments to the borough, all of them designated as affordable housing under Mayor de Blasio’s mandatory inclusionary housing (MIH) legislation. It is the biggest project to be approved to date under the MIH rules, which require some income restricted apartments in projects that need the city's approval.
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