Rendering of the new Public Health Lab. Image Credit: NYC EDC.

The new facility is expected to open in 2026. On July 6, 2022, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) announced that city officials broke ground on the new NYC Public Health Laboratory, located adjacent to the Harlem Hospital complex on West 137^th Street in Manhattan. While the (EDC) is managing the building’s construction, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) will operate the laboratory upon its completion.

The Jacob Dangler House. Image Credit: LPC.

UPDATE: (7/21/22) The developer began demolition on the Dangler House on July 21, 2022. CityLand will continue to follow this story as it develops.

The owner and a potential developer oppose landmarking, but many community members support saving the French Gothic mansion. On July 12, 2022, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing for the designation of the Jacob Dangler House as an Individual Landmark. Located at 441 Willoughby Avenue at the intersection of Willoughby and Nostrand, this Bedford-Stuyvesant mansion was calendared for consideration on June 7, 2022.

Image credit: New York City Council.

Advocates highlighted the public health and equity issues New Yorkers face when struggling to find a public restroom. On Wednesday, June 28th, the City Council’s Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing on a bill which would be the first step in expanding the number of available public bathrooms in New York City. The bill, Int. 258-2022, would require the Departments of Transportation and Parks to collaborate on a report identifying at least one location for a new public bathroom in each zip code. The report would be completed by June 1, 2023. The bill was introduced in April by its lead sponsor, Council Member Rita Joseph.

Mayor Adams visits the aquaphonic roof of Bedford Green House. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

The building’s living green facade helps reduce air pollution and conserve energy. On July 14, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams, joined by the Department of Housing Preservation, the Housing Development Corporation, and non-profit Project Renewal, celebrated the opening of the first phase of Bedford Green House. Bedford Green House is located at 2865 Creston Avenue in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx.

The Lesbian Herstory Archive, located at 484 14th Street in Park Slope. Image Credit: LPC.

Already located within the Park Slope Historic District, the building will now be considered for a designation as an Individual Landmark. On June 28, 2022, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to calendar the Lesbian Herstory Archives for designation. Located at 484 14^th Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn, this French Renaissance Revival-style rowhouse was constructed in 1908 and has housed the Lesbian Herstory Archives since 1991.

217 West 57th Street. Image Credit: Google Maps.

Ice fell from tall crane following ice storm. On December 17, 2019, a citizen complained that ice was falling from Central Park Tower, a 98-story building at 217 West 57^th Street in Midtown, Manhattan.  Upon arrival, the Department of Buildings officer witnessed ice formations on crane and hoisting equipment operated by Lend Lease Construction. With the assistance of the New York Police Department, the Buildings officer closed the streets around the crane and hoist after determining that the only way to remove the ice would be to move the crane and hoist, which would cause more ice to fall to the streets below.