HPD Announces Addition of Over 1,200 Affordable Units Through Completed Projects and Projects In Development

The addition furthers the City’s goal of financing 200,000 affordable households by the end of the de Blasio administration. On December 3, 2021, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced the creation of an additional 1,221 affordable homes between two completed projects in Queens and two projects that have broken ground in the Bronx and Brooklyn.


First Design-Build Teams Selected, Construction to Soon Begin on Borough-Based Jails Project

These teams will prepare the site for construction and enable court operations to continue for the duration of construction. On November 30, 2021, the Department of Design and Construction announced that four separate teams had been selected to receive design-build contracts to prep the sites of the new Borough-Based Jails. The Borough Based Jails project will build smaller jails in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn to allow for the eventual closure of Rikers Island <Read More>


LPC Launches Interactive Story Map to Commemorate 50th Running of the NYC Marathon

New Yorkers anticipate the return of the marathon after last year’s cancellation due to COVID-19. On November 3, 2021, the Landmarks Preservation Commission released 50 for the 50th, an interactive story map that highlights 50 landmarks and historic districts along the NYC Marathon route to celebrate the 50th running of the marathon. The marathon, which started in 1970, is having its 50th running this year as last year’s marathon was cancelled due to the <Read More>


Mayor Announces $425 Million in Funding for Community Parks Initiative

Ten parks a year for ten years will be redesigned and transformed. On October 26, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Parks Commissioner Gabrielle Fialkoff announced that $425.5 million will be invested in the Community Parks Initiative over the next ten years. The Community Parks Initiative (CPI) renovates and redesigns community parks, usually in high-density, low-income areas, that have previously been neglected in past administrations. Parks that have received less than $250,000 in investment over <Read More>


Community Boards Share Many Concerns Over Permanent Open Restaurant Program

Community boards in support and against the application had concerns about quality of life issues and community board involvement in future reviews. Last year’s Open Restaurants program was established to allow restaurants to operate sidewalk or roadway cafes without the extensive approval process to provide safe outdoor dining options during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the program was enabled through an emergency executive order that temporarily suspended the sidewalk café application process, a permanent program would … <Read More>


DOB Announces Results of Construction Safety Campaign

DOB inspectors visited almost 7,500 constructions sites over the summer. On September 13, 2021, Department of Buildings Commissioner, Melanie E. La Rocca released the results of the new Zero Tolerance Construction Safety campaign, where Department inspectors swept construction sites citywide to check for proper safeguards. The campaign launched in early June following seven construction-related fatalities between January and May 2021.