New Six-Story-Plus-Penthouse Hotel Would Lie Partially Within Historic District

Landmarks asked for revisions to application to demolish 20th century freight terminal building and construct new brick-faced hotel. On August 3, 2015 the Landmarks Preservation Commission considered an application to demolish an existing building and construct a new hotel at 456 Greenwich Street in Manhattan. The lot under consideration lies partially within the Tribeca North Historic District. The existing structure at the site, originally built as freight terminal building in 1942, was heavily altered … <Read More>


Variance Granted for Expansion of Private School

Variance was opposed by local community board, neighborhood groups.  On July 14, 2015 the Board of Standards and Appeals voted to grant a variance to the applicant, Manhattan Country School, for enlarging its new building.  The school currently occupies a five-story townhouse on 7 East 96th Street in Manhattan’s Upper East Side and intends to relocate to a four-story building with three mezzanines on 150 West 85th Street in the Upper West Side.  The … <Read More>


Council Approves Hospital for Special Surgery Expansion

Expansion is designed to increase Hospital’s operating-room capacity.  On July 23, 2015 the City Council approved a special permit for expansion of the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan’s Upper East Side.  The expansion will increase HSS’ lot coverage by 2,820 square feet.  The permit was unanimously approved by the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises on July 20 and by the Committee on Land Use on July 21.


Taxis: Yellow, Green and Black: Competition & Evolution

On a daily basis I am reminded that seemingly everyone loves to talk about taxis. Last year between the Daily News, the Post and Times, there were over 2,000 articles mentioning taxis, which transport about a million people a day – yet only about 3,000 articles mentioning subways which transport six-million people a day. Travelers and New Yorkers are clearly disproportionally obsessed with taxis.

Assuming that what people ask me is representative of what’s on … <Read More>


New 12-story Building will Retain Facade of Previously Demolished Tenement

Commission asked applicants to integrate fragment of building that was otherwise demolished for 1980s enlargement. On June 9, 2015, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to approve an application to construct a new building at 807 Park Avenue in the Upper East Side Historic District. It was the commission’s fourth meeting on the matter. The property was originally developed in 1899 as five story Romanesque Revival tenement. The site is owned by Aion Partners, who … <Read More>


BSA Permits Penthouse Addition

Board found complying with Multiple Dwellings Law prohibited full development of zoned area.  On May 19, 2015 the Board of Standards and Appeals voted to grant the applicant, BBD & D Inc, a permit to construct a penthouse at 237 East 72nd Street in the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  The penthouse unit will expand the current building from four stories in height to five.

On April 8, 2014 the Department of Buildings denied … <Read More>