In addition to re-facing to prevent further damage to the porous, water-damaged brick, work will aid expansion of tenant artists’ colony. On May 9, 2017, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved an application by the Trust for Governors Island to reclad an 1870s building constructed as an ordnance storehouse in stucco, with other alterations. The 300-foot-long two-and-a-half story building is part of the Governors Island Historic District. The red brick Romanesque Revival storehouse served as … <Read More>
Illegal Conversion Legislation Considered [UPDATE: City Council Passes Bill]
UPDATE: On May 10, 2017, the City Council voted 49-0 approve the new legislation. The new law, sponsored by Council Members Vincent Gentile and Jumaane Williams, increases the minimum civil penalty for immediate hazardous illegal conversions to $15,000 fine for each dwelling unit beyond the number that are legally authorized. The legislation was proposed after a two-alarm fire in an illegally converted unit in East Flatbush, Brooklyn killed one person, injured five more, and … <Read More>
Attorney General Reaches $225,000 Settlement with Harassing Landlords
Schneiderman announces settlement with New York City landlord accused of harassing rent-stabilized tenants. On May 4, 2017, New York State Attorney General Eric. T. Schneiderman announced that a settlement had been reached between the State and several companies controlled by Sassan “Sami” Mahfar and Sina Mahfar. The companies owned four residential buildings on Manhattan’s Lower East Side—22 Spring Street, 102 Norfold Street, 113 Stanton Street, and 210 Rivington Street. The Attorney General alleged that the … <Read More>
City Council Holds Hearing on Hotel-to-Condo Conversion Moratorium [UPDATE: CITY COUNCIL APPROVES EXTENSION]
UPDATE: On May 10, 2017, the City Council voted 45-4 to approve the extension of the moratorium on hotel-to-condo conversions within the Borough of Manhattan. Council Members Daniel Garodnick, David Greenfield, Steven Matteo, and Paul Vallone all voted in the negative. The Committee on Housing and Buildings previously voted 11-0 on May 8, 2017. The bill will now go to the Mayor’s desk for his signature.
City Council Committee heard testimony in considering an extension … <Read More>
Public Review Underway for East Harlem Initiative
The proposal would create new affordable housing, strengthen the neighborhood as a major transit hub and job center, and preserve neighborhood character in existing mid-scale residential areas. On April 24, 2017, the Department of City Planning began the public review process for its proposal to rezone Manhattan’s East Harlem neighborhood. The East Harlem Initiative would invest in the improvement of the neighborhood by adding new affordable housing, creating opportunities for economic development, planning for infrastructure … <Read More>
West 10th Street Rowhouse Facade to be Restored to 19th-Century Condition
Renovation would include the removal of roof skylight, thought to be an important historical layer by some preservationists. On May 2, 2017, the Landmarks Preservation Commission considered and approved an application for restoration work at 38 West 10th Street in the Greenwich Village Historic District. The lot is occupied by a two-bay rowhouse constructed in 1858. The building’s original brownstone cladding was lost and replaced with stucco, and the building has also been … <Read More>