Elected Officials Challenge Skyscraper’s Skirt of the Zoning Law

The development of a skyscraper on the Upper East Side has provoked the ire of City officials and neighborhood groups. The developer, DDG Partners, planned to construct a 524-foot skyscraper at 180 East 88th Street in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The building would be 31 stories, with 16 feet per story, and would be the tallest skyscraper north of 72nd Street. The developer is currently in the process of selling units in the skyscraper, ranging … <Read More>



Pratt Center Study Outlines Solutions for Industrial Rezoning

Study discusses solutions for achieving the expansion of affordable housing without sacrificing high-paying industrial jobs. On May 8, 2015 the Pratt Center for Community Development released a study, “Making Room for Housing and Jobs”. The study analyzed the relationship between land use policies and the declining trend of industrial expansion across the city. The study also discussed the possible consequences of the Administration’s plans to add additional mixed-use districts which they hope … <Read More>


Numerous Local Residents Oppose Proposed TriBeCa Development of Vacant Lots

Plan would see the construction of two connected mixed-use buildings on triangular-shaped lots, currently used for parking, on Sixth Avenue extension. On November 12, 2013, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a hearing on the proposal for two adjacent irregularly shaped lots on 100 Franklin Street in the TriBeCa East Historic District.  DDG Partners is seeking to develop the property with two conjoined structures that would include ground-floor retail and residential use on the upper floors. … <Read More>


Council Approved East Fordham Road Rezoning

Central Bronx area rezoned is adjacent to the Bronx Zoo, the Bronx Botanical Garden, and Fordham University. The Council approved the Bronx Planning office’s proposed zoning map amendments affecting a 12 block area in the Central Bronx. The new zoning established height limits, protects neighborhood character, and reinforces existing commercial character. A major goal of the rezoning is to stimulate revitalization of the area through private investment, the construction of affordable housing and to create … <Read More>


Crown Heights West Rezoning Approved by City Council

City Council approved Crown Heights rezoning despite calls for mandatory inclusionary housing and anti-harassment legislation. On September 16, 2013, the Brooklyn Borough Office of the Department of City Planning testified before the City Council’s Land Use Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises in support of its proposal to rezone 55 blocks in the western portion of Crown Heights (Crown Heights West). Crown Heights West is bounded by Atlantic Avenue, Pacific, Dean and Bergen streets to the … <Read More>