City seeks developer for East River site which will house Sanitation garage and institutional facility. The Economic Development Corporation issued a request for proposals for the redevelopment of a Department of Sanitation-owned lot at 525 East 73rd Street in Manhattan. The roughly 68,000 sq.ft. site occupies the eastern half of a block bounded by East 74th and East 73rd Streets, and FDR Drive and York Avenue. Sanitation in 2008 demolished an existing garage on the site in order to build a 410,000 sq.ft., 150-vehicle facility serving Manhattan Community Districts 6 and 8. The City, however, has indefinitely delayed construction of the facility due to a lack of capital funds. Since 2008, Sanitation has been using three temporary garages in Chelsea, Harlem, and Inwood.

EDC is seeking redevelopment proposals that would include the garage facility and a health care, education, or science facility. The developer would fund and build the garage at “minimal or no cost” to the City and within Sanitation’s design parameters. The institutional facility must be the site’s primary use, other than the garage, but the developer may propose complementary secondary uses. The developer would need to achieve at least a LEED Silver rating for the garage.

The site is zoned M3-2, and Sanitation once planned to request that the City rezone the site to M1-6 to facilitate the original redevelopment proposal. Prospective developers would be required to identify any land use actions, including rezonings or special permits, necessary to redevelop the site. Prospective developers are permitted to propose alternative sites within or near CD 6 and 8 for the new garage, but EDC will discount relocation proposals relative to those proposing to develop the garage on site.

EDC intends to enter into a contract of sale for the site in early 2012. Responses must be submitted by July 28, 2011.

EDC: Request for Proposals – East 73rd Street Development (May 20, 2011).