Architect rendering of the proposed building at 505 West 43rd Street. Image credit: ODA

The fifteen-story building would be built over an open rail cut in the Special Clinton District.  On March 24, 2015, the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises heard a proposal by 1818 Nadlan LLC to construct a new fifteen-story residential building at 505 West 43rd Street in the Special Clinton District of Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan.  The proposed building would consist of two segments, one fronting on West 43rd Street and the other fronting on West 44th Street, containing a total of 105 condominium units.  Eight of the units are designated affordable, and a twenty-three space accessory parking garage is also available.  The proposal requests a special permit to construct over a rail line and waivers of the height, setback, rear yard obstruction, and street line planter requirements.

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Map of Approved Central Harlem Rezoning. Image Credit: CPC.

Rezoning approved for project that will restore historic church building and provide thirty percent affordable housing to Harlem residents. On June 17, 2014, the City Council Land Use Subcommittee for Zoning and Franchises heard an application submitted by 117th Street Equities, LLC (Artimus) for a zoning map amendment to facilitate a mixed-use development in Central Harlem, Manhattan. The map amendment would rezone an existing R7A to an R8A zoning district on a block bounded by West 117th and West 118th streets, St. Nicholas Avenue and Fredrick Douglass Boulevard. The development is comprised of four buildings that consist of approximately 151 dwelling units and 12,201 square feet of community facility use. (more…)

Map of the Braddock-Hillside Rezoning. Image Credit: CPC.

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City Planning Commission approved a zoning map amendment to facilitate broader commercial uses of the property.On March 5, 2014, the City Planning Commission unanimously approved an application submitted by DERP Associates, LLC, for a zoning map amendment to rezone to a C4-1 district a portion of an R3-2 district and an R3-2/C2-2 district, located at 220-05 Hillside Avenue in Queens. Currently at the site is a shopping center occupied by a Sears Appliance & Hardware Store, an HSBC Bank, and an AutoZone retail store. The rezoning would facilitate a wider range of commercial. The rezoning would also extend the district boundary line 25 feet to the west. This extension would remove reliance on a Board of Standards and Appeals special permit issued in 1991 which allowed nonconforming commercial uses at this location. (more…)

New York City: Largest Ice Sport Center Approved in the Bronx.

Rendering of approved Kingsbridge National Ice Center. Image courtesy of NYC Mayor’s Office.

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On December 10, 2013, the City Council voted 48-1 to turn the Kingsbridge Armory, currently a vacant landmark, into an ice sports center. The $275 million development project by KNIC Partners, LLC will feature nine ice rinks and approximately 64,300 sq. ft. of related program space, including a wellness and off-ice training center, curling rinks, and locker and equipment storage. The development plan also includes 58,100 sq. ft. of concession and retail space, approximately 50,000 sq. ft. of community facility space, and an accessory parking garage containing 457 spaces. The ice center is projected to attract two million visitors yearly and create nearly 180 permanent living wage jobs, and 890 construction jobs. Council Member Fernando Cabrera stated that the project approval “represents an unprecedented milestone for the entire City.” (more…)

East Fordham Road Rezoning Project Area. Image Credit:Pictometry International Corp.

Central Bronx area rezoned is adjacent to the Bronx Zoo, the Bronx Botanical Garden, and Fordham University. The Council approved the Bronx Planning office’s proposed zoning map amendments affecting a 12 block area in the Central Bronx. The new zoning established height limits, protects neighborhood character, and reinforces existing commercial character. A major goal of the rezoning is to stimulate revitalization of the area through private investment, the construction of affordable housing and to create an attractive gateway to important Bronx cultural institutions.

On September 30, 2013, the Bronx Borough Office of the Department of City Planning (DCP) testified before the City Council’s Land Use Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises in support of the proposal to rezone an area along East Fordham Road, a major east-west thoroughfare passing through the central Bronx.  The rezoning area is generally bounded by East 191st Street to the north, East 187th Street to the south, Southern Boulevard to the east, and Bathgate Avenue to the west. (more…)