Council Subcommittee Approves Hotel Building Conversion in DUMBO

The building conversion will bring 508 supportive and affordable residential units to DUMBO. On March 13, 2020, the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises approved an application to facilitate the conversion of a 29-story former hotel building at 90 Sands Street. The building would be converted into a mixed-use residential use and community facility building with a future possibility for commercial use. To facilitate the conversion, the applicant, Breaking Ground, is proposing to rezone … <Read More>


Landmarks Holds Public Hearing on Seven-Story Mixed-Use Development in Greenpoint

Landmarks agreed with local elected officials and residents that the proposed building was out of context for the Greenpoint Historic District. On February 11, 2020, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on a Certificate of Appropriateness to demolish an existing one-story brick building and construct a new seven-story mixed-use residential and commercial building at 171 Calyer Street, located within the Greenpoint Historic District in Brooklyn. The existing one-story building was a former supermarket … <Read More>


City to Fund Renovation of Two Community Centers in Brooklyn

The renovated community centers will provide after-school activities, arts programming, and job skills training. On July 11, 2019, Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Committee on General Welfare Chair Stephen Levin, Committee on Public Housing Chair Alicka Ampry-Samuel, and Council Member Brad Lander announced that the City’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget includes funding to reopen the Gowanus Houses Community Center. Speaker Johnson and Council Member Levin also unveiled capital funding in Fiscal Year 2020 budget for … <Read More>


City Planning Releases North Brooklyn Industry & Innovation Plan

The Department of City Planning released a comprehensive plan which seeks to update zoning and other land use strategies to stimulate spaces for new jobs and economic activity in the area. On November 19, 2018, the Department of City Planning released the North Brooklyn Industry & Innovation Plan which sets land use goals and tools for businesses in the area to promote growth and expansion. The Plan is part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s 10-point … <Read More>


DUMBO Historic District Commemorates New District Marker

Marker celebrates importance of manufacturing history of the district. On August 24, 2018, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation, and the DUMBO Neighborhood Alliance, announced a historic district marker to promote and commemorate the 2007 designation of the DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) Historic District. The marker is located mid-block on Jay Street, between Water and Plymouth Streets, highlighting the boundaries of the district and its historic importance. To … <Read More>


City To Streamline Rental Assistance Programs

Old rental assistance programs will be combined into one. On July 18, 2018, the de Blasio Administration announced the new City Fighting Homelessness & Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS) program, which will replace the Living in Communities, the Special Exit and Prevention Supplement, and the City Family Eviction Prevention and Exit Plan Supplements programs, creating one unified rental assistance program. The new CityFHEPS program will simplify the rental assistance process making it easier for New Yorkers … <Read More>