Former CPC Chair Discussed 1969 Plan for New York City

On Thursday, April 11, 2013, the Center for New York City Law and the Center for Real Estate Studies at New York Law School presented a Master Class on the 1969 City Planning Commission’s Plan for New York City. Ross Sandler, Director of the Center for New York City Law, found a complete set of the original plans at a recent auction. Mr. Sandler invited two guest speakers to discuss the plan: Donald H. Elliott<Read More>


City’s First Micro-Unit Development Begins Review

Mixed-use development will feature 55 experimental micro-units between 250- and 350-square-feet each unit. On April 8, 2013 the City Planning Commission certified the adAPT NYC proposal as complete and ready for review. The plan, proposed by the City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, seeks to initiate an innovative approach to affordable housing through the development of micro-units. A new, 10-story building will be constructed to house 55 residential units as well as retail and … <Read More>


The East Midtown Rezoning and the Future of New York City

(Economic) Heart Trouble

More than 30 years after its last major zoning change, the economic heart of New York City merits a checkup. According to City planners, the prognosis for East Midtown is not good: an aging office stock, a congested pedestrian network, global competition, and the lack of new office development threaten to undermine the economic competitiveness of the City. The cure, proposed by the Bloomberg Administration, is a rezoning of 78 blocks of … <Read More>


Community Concerns Voiced at City Council Hearing for Special Hudson Square District

Community Board urges Trinity to build a new recreation center to accommodate projected population increase. On February 12, 2013, the City Council’s Zoning & Franchises Subcommittee held a hearing for Trinity Church’s application to rezone 18 blocks generally bounded by West Houston and Canal Streets, Avenue of the Americas, and Greenwich Street. The Special Hudson Square District will facilitate residential development, maintain commercial office space, and encourage ground-floor retail. Trinity Church owns approximately 39 … <Read More>


Owner-Initiated Rezoning Faces Community Board Opposition at City Planning

Commercial and residential rezoning of entire block favored by half of block’s property owners in area zoned for manufacturing. Five property owners came together to apply for the rezoning of a block in Flushing, Queens. The block is bounded by Avery Avenue to the north, College Point Boulevard to the east, Fowler Avenue to the south and 131st Street to the west. The application requests a rezoning from M1-1 and M1-2 to C2-6A to facilitate … <Read More>


City Council Set to Decide on Reduced Downtown Brooklyn Parking Requirements

Proposal to revise residential and public parking rules faces scrutiny on its ability to encourage affordable housing. On November 26, 2012, the City Council’s Zoning & Franchises Subcommittee held a hearing to examine a proposal to amend the parking requirements for the Special Downtown Brooklyn District. The main goal of the proposal, submitted by the Department of City Planning (DCP), is the reduction of required parking sites within the District. The proposal attempts to … <Read More>