Brian Huseman, VP of Public Policy at Amazon testifies at City Council Amazon HQ2 Oversight Hearing on January 30th. Image Credit: Emil Cohen/ New York City Council

The new headquarters would have brought at least 25,000 jobs in exchange for nearly $3 billion in tax incentives. On February 14, 2019, Amazon announced the company was canceling its plans to open a new headquarters located in Long Island City, Queens after political pressure from local and state lawmakers.

NYC Department of City Planning

The City’s zoning laws are now instantly accessible to New Yorkers. On February 6, 2019, Department of City Planning Director Marisa Lago announced the release of the City’s digital Zoning Resolution online platform. The online platform will serve as a green replacement for the 1,570-page physical copy of the Resolution, which will no longer be printed to save money, increase government transparency, and fight climate change. It will also be a more interactive replacement for the static PDFs currently on the City Planning website. The platform will make the City’s Zoning Resolution more accessible for New Yorkers.

Illustrative rendering of applicant’s proposed five- and twelve-story development between West 22nd and West 23rd Street, Coney Island, Brooklyn. Image Credit: CPC.

City Planning voted no in part to questions regarding alleged comments made by project attorney at Community Board hearing. On January 9, 2019, the City Planning Commission voted to disapprove a proposed rezoning of the northern portion of a block situated between Surf Avenue to the north, Reigelman Boardwalk to the south, West 22^nd Street to the east, and West 23^rd Street to the west, in Coney Island, Brooklyn. The rezoning would have allowed for a new five- and twelve-story mixed-use building with retail and 78 dwelling units, 20 of which would have been permanently affordable. A public hearing on this application was held on December 5, 2018.

Rendering of Betances VI. Image Credit: NYC CPC

The building will feature supportive housing with in-building staff to provide services. On January 30, 2019, the City Planning Commission voted to approve an application for the development of a 15 story mixed-use building in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx. The building will have approximately 100 residential units and will be located at 472-474 Willis Avenue between East 146^th and East 147^th Streets. The development site will be leased to the development team by NYCHA.

Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia at the CityLaw Breakfast on October 5, 2018. Image credit: CityLaw.

Garcia will work to strengthen public housing as Interim Chair. On February 5, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia as the Interim Chair of the New York City Housing Authority. She will be succeeding Stanley Brezenoff, who will depart from the position later this month. Commissioner Garcia will serve as Chair while the City begins the process of selecting a permanent Chair.

Image Credit: Center for New York City Law

Executive Director of the Port Authority Rick Cotton spoke at this morning’s 159th CityLaw Breakfast at New York Law School. Cotton was introduced by Professor Ross Sandler, Director of the Center for New York City Law, with remarks by Dean Anthony W. Crowell. Cotton spoke on “From Vision to Reality: Rebuilding New York’s Airports for the 21st Century”.