Image Credit: Triton.

Contractor redesigned and re-fabricated roof of rink as part of a time and materials contract. On September 19, 2013, the Department of Design and Construction awarded a $5.1 million contract to Triton Structural Concrete, Inc. to construct the Ocean Breeze Indoor Horse Riding Arena in Staten Island. The rink was to serve as the headquarters for Helping Others Overcome Personal Handicaps, a therapeutic riding program. Because of 2012’s Superstorm Sandy, the DDC required an enclosed canopy for the rink.  Triton submitted a design for the canopy which was criticized by DDC for not showing how the soffit under the canopy would extend as a continuous structure.  Following additional discussions Triton designed and fabricated the canopy.  When the materials arrived on site, DDC objected to the fabricated materials and required Triton to redesign and reconstruct the canopy.  Triton sought an additional $88,674 for the extra work. (read more…)

Owner claimed that federal law pre-empted Central Park West building from rent stabilization. In 1969, Jacob Haberman purchased nine separate tenement buildings at 431–439 Central Park West in Manhattan. Haberman took out a loan from the Federal Housing Administration in order to rehabilitate and combine the tenements into a single apartment building containing 120 units. In 1980, Haberman received a subsidy grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and contracted with HUD to continue renting to low- and moderate-income tenants until the loan matured in 2011. (read more…)

Realty company claimed property transfer was exempt from City taxes. In April 2007, the Gramercy Capital Corporation purchased a forty-five percent ownership share in the Marbridge building at 2 Herald Square in Manhattan, and the SL Green Realty Corporation purchased the remaining fifty-five percent interest. In December 2010, the two owners formed the 2 Herald Owner LLC and each transferred their respective interests into the Owner LLC. On the same day in December 2010, SL Green bought out Gramercy’s membership interest in the Owner LLC for $111,375,000. (read more…)

35-03 Leavitt Street, Queens. Image: Google Maps.

Buildings cited unsafe conditions at inactive construction site and served construction supervisor. Dennis Chen, the construction superintendent of a construction project located at 35-03 Leavitt Street, Queens, was responsible for safety on the construction site.  In 2014, the project stalled because of inaccurate design calculations. On March 23, 2016, the Department of Buildings served construction superintendent Chen with three summonses relating to hazardous conditions at the construction site. The issuing officer observed a hazardous gap between the sidewalk shed and the fence where construction debris could fall off the construction site and endanger pedestrians on the sidewalk. At the time of the inspection, the construction site was inactive. (read more…)

1716 Pacific Street in Brooklyn. Image: Google Maps.

Department of Sanitation parked trucks on lot for more than ten years. In 1948, Vertley Clanton and her husband acquired a lot located at 1716 Pacific Street in the Utica area of Brooklyn, between Schenectady and Utica Avenues. Clanton’s property was across the street from a garage owned by New York City Department of Sanitation and surrounded by City-owned lots. Clanton lived in Manhattan for some time before eventually moving out of state. Clayton did not frequently visit the empty lot, but continued to pay taxes to the City throughout her life. Over time, Sanitation paved Clanton’s property, fenced it in, installed lighting and used the property as a parking lot for garbage trucks. (read more…)