Public Access to Public Open Space

New York City routinely permits private property owners to acquire public land without paying for it. Does that shock you? It should! Let me explain how this happened.

In 1961 the Board of Estimate approved a new Zoning Resolution in which the public obtained access to and use of privately-owned open space in exchange for permitting certain owners to build additional floor area inside their building. For four decades people routinely used what became public … <Read More>


Open space at issue in rezoning near Lincoln Center

Proposal includes controversial new bulk waiver that will impact ten community districts. West 60th Street Associates, LLC applied to rezone 14 lots in Manhattan’s Lincoln Square neighborhood from manufacturing to commercial zoning. On 11 lots, West 60th would develop a mixed residential and commercial project with 301 rental units, 41 condos, 10,000 sq.ft. of retail and 200 parking spaces. Along with a special permit for on-site parking, West 60th proposed a text amendment that would … <Read More>





City Agencies Announce Water Supply Improvements and Traffic Redesigns Along Ninth Avenue in Midtown

On March 21, 2023, elected officials and agency officials from the Department of Design and Construction, Transportation, and Environmental Protection announced the completion of a $231 million upgrade in the water distribution system and road reconstruction along Ninth Avenue, one of Midtown’s major corridors. The investment also included safety improvements and street redesign enhancements to reclaim more space for pedestrians and decrease congestion.