Frank St. Jacques.
While in college at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Frank St. Jacques dreamed that one day he would live in New York City. He did not know then that it would ultimately lead him to becoming a land use attorney at a national law firm, Akerman LLP.
Image credit: Department of Buildings.
Owner sought to install billboard capable of running 54 advertisements. Baychester Retail III LLC filed applications to install an LED billboard capable of displaying 54 video screen advertisements on a commercial property located near Co-op City, in the Baychester section neighborhood of the Bronx near the New England Thruway. Buildings denied the applications.
Rendering of proposed seven story building at 12 Franklin Street in Brooklyn. Image Credit: CPC/FXCollaborative Architects
The project will provide much needed office space while preserving industrial space that is characteristic of the Greenpoint/Williamsburg area. On December 5, 2018, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on a proposed mixed-use development at 12 Franklin Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, located within the Greenpoint/Williamsburg Industrial Business Zone. The applicant is proposing to build a seven story, approximately 134,222 square foot building that will contain a mix of light industrial, office, and retail uses. On January 9, 2019, City Planning voted to approve the project. The application will proceed to City Council for review and approval.
The 1st Spanish Methodist Church was removed from the Landmarks calendar. Image Credit: NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
Church removed from Landmarks calendar after complex history divides community members. On December 11, 2018, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a discussion about the 1st Spanish United Methodist Church located at 163 East 111th Street and Lexington Avenue in East Harlem. The Church was constructed in 1880 for the Lexington Avenue Baptist Church but was rebuilt in the mid-1960s after a fire destroyed most of the first floor. The Church was calendared in December 2017.
Rendering of proposed 40-story development (center) at 570 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn. Image Credit: CPC/ Hill West Architects.
The development which requires a significant upzoning, special permit, and several building envelope requirement modifications will now proceed to City Council for review and approval. On December 5, 2018, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on a proposed mixed-use development at 570 Fulton Street, located within the Special Downtown Brooklyn District. The applicant, 570 Fulton Street LLC, is proposing to build a 40-story, approximately 202,000 square foot building containing a mix of office space, residential apartments, and retail. To facilitate this development, the applicant is seeking three approvals including a zoning map change, a zoning text change, and the creation of a special permit that would unlock several building envelope waivers sought by the applicant. The project was presented by the applicant team comprised of Allison Curreri and Jay Segal of Greenberg Traurig, David West from Hill West architects, and David Schwartz of Slate Property Group. On January 9, 2019, the City Planning Commission approved the project, which will proceed to City Council.
On January 9th, 2019, the Center for New York City Law and the Impact Center for Public Interest Law of New York Law School hosted New Yorkers for Parks for their Open Space Dialogues: Healthy City, Active Places. This installment of the dialogues explored the ways New Yorkers have and want to create opportunities for active recreation and health. The discussion focused on answering questions such as: how parks contribute to different scales of health; what park designs and programming prevent or catalyze active recreation; how parks can balance changing user groups, sports popularity, and informal recreation demand; what are neighborhood knock-on effects for parks with an active recreation and health focus; and where are recreations needs of New Yorkers not being met? Video of the event can be found here.
In a Reader
