Rendering of Bronx Point. Image Credit: City Planning Commission

Bronx Point could spark development in the South Bronx. On August 14, 2019, the City Planning Commission unanimously approved an Urban Development Action Area Project (“UDAAP”) application in the South Bronx. The project, more commonly referred to as “Bronx Point” was brought by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (“HPD”) to designate the property located north of East 150^th Street, south of Mill Pond Park, west of Exterior Street/Major Deegan Expressway and east of the Harlem River as an UDAAP. UDAAP designations provide tax exemptions for the rehabilitation or new construction of housing, on former city owned land, if City Council determines the area to be in need of an urban renewal.

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Image Credit: LPC/HubbNYC

Applicants will continue to preserve and restore the building in exchange for the approval to increase the building’s height. On August 28, 2019, the City Planning Commission voted to approve an application for a special permit for 121 Chambers Street in Tribeca South Historic District, Manhattan. The special permit would allow for the addition of two stories to the existing five-story building.

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Image Credit: NYC HPD

The sustainable-design building would offer on-site supportive services and comes with several amenities for tenants. On July 31, 2019, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on an application to convert City-owned property at 776-780 Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn to a nine-story affordable and supportive housing development. The applicant team is comprised of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, IMPACCT Brooklyn, and Urban Architectural Initiatives. To facilitate the development, the applicants are seeking disposition of the City-owned property and Urban Development Action Area Project (UDAAP) designation and project approval. (read more…)

The City Planning Commission at the borough-based jails public hearing on July 10, 2019. Image Credit: CPC

City reduced projected number of beds to 4,600 but did not amend application at time of hearing. On July 10, 2019, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing for the City’s application for four borough-based jails as a part of the City’s plan to shut down Rikers Island. The application proposes four new jails at 124-125 White Street in Manhattan, 745 East 141^st Street in the Bronx, 126-02 82^nd Avenue in Queens, and at 275 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. The new jails will allow the City to shut down operations on Rikers Island and work toward the City’s goal of reducing the City’s jail population. For CityLand’s prior coverage of the proposed project, click here. (read more…)

Building envelope comparison: R2 (left) to R2X (right). Image Credit: CPC.

The proposed rezoning would allow larger single-family homes than current zoning permits and would bring many overbuilt homes in the area into zoning compliance. On June 19, 2019, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on a proposed rezoning of two areas of Kew Gardens Hills in Queens. The application was brought by Queens Community Board 8 to rezone approximately 378 lots across 16 blocks from the existing residential R2 zoning to residential R2X zoning. The areas proposed for rezoning are both located northeast of the Kew Gardens Interchange generally bounded by 72^nd Avenue to the north, Union Turnpike to the south, Park Drive East to the west, and Main Street to the east.  Queens Community Board 8 brought the application on behalf of Kew Gardens Hills residents. The applicant’s attorney Jay Goldstein presented the application. (read more…)