New Programs aimed to Help First-time Homeowners

Plan anticipates creating or preserving 20,000 homeownership opportunities by 2026. On December 11, 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced two new programs, Open Door, which aids first-time homeowners buy a condo or coop, and HomeFix, which helps New Yorkers make capital improvements to their homes. These two programs will reach at least 2,100 households in eight years. These programs are part of the Mayor’s 300,000 affordable housing plan.


City Council Approves Downtown Far Rockaway Rezoning

City Council approved a 22-block rezoning of Downtown Far Rockaway, Queens. On September 7, 2017, the City Council approved a large-scale rezoning and development plan for Downtown Far Rockaway by a vote of 46-0. The resolutions will create a Special Downtown Far Rockaway district, a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing area, and an Urban Renewal Area. $288 million has been secured to grant amenities this community has been requesting for over 40 years.


City Planning Approves African Burial Ground Memorial and Large Mixed-Use Complex

The City Planning Commission approved the redevelopment of a city block in East Harlem to include a Burial Ground Memorial, 730 residential units and over 300,000 square feet of commercial space. On July 26, 2017, the City Planning Commission issued a favorable report on an application for multiple land use actions to facilitate the East 126th Street Bus Depot Project in East Harlem. The applicants—the Department of Citywide Administrative Services and the Economic Development Corporation—sought … <Read More>


City Planning Holds Hearing on Skyscraper East Harlem Development [UPDATE: Application Found to be Appropriate]

UPDATE: On June 21, 2017, the City Planning Commission the application from the New York City Education Construction Fund and AvalonBay Communities to redevelop a city block in East Harlem to be appropriate. The proposed development would shift the Marx Brothers Playground to the center of the block and facilitate the construction of two buildings at either end. The eastern building would rise eight stories and contain two public high school relocated from other <Read More>


City Council Subcommittee Approves Soundview Development Including Church with Modifications

Zoning Subcommittee approved a proposed 286-unit fully affordable housing complex in the Bronx’s Soundview neighborhood. On May 30, 2017, the City Council’s Zoning Subcommittee voted 5-0 to approve an application submitted by Azimuth Development Group, LLC, to develop four attached buildings with residential, community facility and retail uses. The applicant sought to up-zone most of the 63,000 square foot development site and to designate the site as a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Area.


Subcommittee Coaxes Upfront Commitment for $100 Million Out of Developer for Trust

Council Member Corey Johnson still feels hesitant about proposed St. John’s Terminal development and seeks more concessions by the developer. On November 1, 2016, the City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held a public hearing on the proposed 550 Washington Street rezoning and redevelopment, and the creation of a special district in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. The proposed development would create three separate city blocks for five separate buildings which would include four mixed-use buildings … <Read More>