Variance for Red Hook condos sent back to BSA

BSA’s reliance on a single-use feasibility study deemed insufficient. In 2003, BSA granted a variance to 160 Imlay Street Real Estate LLC to convert a vacant, 220,000-square-foot Red Hook industrial building into 150 luxury residential condominiums with ground floor retail. When members of the Red Hook- Gowanus Chamber of Commerce filed an article 78 petition challenging the variance, the City asked the court to dismiss the proceeding since the Chamber failed to add Imlay as … <Read More>


Mayor and DOB Announce Overhaul of Sidewalk Construction Shed Rules

Sidewalk sheds stay up for an average of over 500 days, but some stay up for several years. On July 24, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo announced “Get Sheds Down,” an overhaul of the rules relating to sidewalk construction sheds (scaffolding). While the sheds are required for construction, facade inspections, and repairs, existing laws often enable property owners to leave up the construction sheds for a long time, and <Read More>


Mayor Signs E-Bike Fire Safety Bills, Announces E-Bike Safety Plan

On March 20, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced a new plan to address lithium-ion battery fires and powered mobility device safety. Following an increase in fires due to faulty or refurbished batteries, both the Mayor’s Office and City Council have worked to develop solutions to improve fire safety and reduce avoidable fires while promoting methods of micromobility that thousands of New Yorkers, including delivery workers, depend on daily. 



Mayor Launches Citywide Hubs for Delivery Workers

Through federal grant funding, the City will turn underused existing infrastructure into hubs for food deliveristas. On October 3, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a first-of-its-kind hub program for NYC’s 65,000 food delivery workers. The “Street Deliveristas Hubs” program will create safe places for delivery workers to seek shelter from the elements and charge both their electric bicycles and cell phones.


West Park Presbyterian Church Responds to Public Testimony

Following Landmarks’ firsthand visit to the site, West Park was given an additional opportunity to speak in support of their hardship application. On July 19, 2022, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public meeting to question the West Park Presbyterian Church about their hardship application. The building is designed in the Romanesque Revival style and located at 165 West 86th Street in Manhattan.