Bensonhurst Park Playground. Image Credit: NYC Parks/ Daniel Avila
The project cost $7.86 million. On January 7, 2020, the Parks Department announced the completion of the reconstruction of Bensonhurst Park Playground in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Bensonhurst Park is one of 26 parks crossed by the Belt Parkway, which divides the park into two sections. The playground portion of the park is located near the intersection of Bay Parkway and Cropsey Avenue. (more…)
Rendering of the new building at171 Calyer Street, with a red line indicating the change in height from the previous proposal. Image Credit: NYC LPC
Landmarks approved the demolition and new construction on the condition that applicants fine-tune design details with the Commission. On September 15, 2020, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved a certificate of appropriateness for the demolition and construction of a new commercial building at 171 Calyer Street, in the Greenpoint Historic District of Brooklyn. (more…)
Renderings of the new co-op buildings that will be part of the Soundview campus. Image Credit: NYCHA
Seventy-two co-op units will be available for purchase. On October 2, 2020, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced that Lemle & Wolff Companies and Avante Contracting Corp will develop a 100 percent affordable homeownership housing development at NYCHA’s Soundview campus in the Bronx. The buildings will be located across the street to the north of Soundview Park along Lacombe Avenue at the cross street of Lacombe and Rosedale Avenue. (more…)
Image Credit: Department of Environmental Protection
City prioritizes safe drinking water with infrastructure investment. On July 23, 2020, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection announced that during the first week of August, construction of a stormwater collection system near the Cross River Reservoir would commence. The stormwater collection system is intended to enhance reservoir protections by capturing runoff, sediment and nutrients from a 9.3-acre drainage area in the town of Bedford. The venture is projected to cost nearly $1.1 million and expected to occupy 1 acre of city-owned property east of the Cross River Dam.
Eugene Travers. Image Credit: Eugene Travers/Kramer Levin
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive orders issued in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency halted non-essential construction throughout the City of New York. Many of the halted construction projects enjoyed land use approvals granted by City agencies, and the Governor’s orders did not toll the expiration dates of these approvals. (Update:) Subsequent to the construction shutdown, Mayor Bill de Blasio on April 29, 2020 issued an emergency executive order tolling the expiration dates of certain City land use approvals “for the duration of the [COVID-19] emergency.” It remains to be seen if legislation will be adopted to provide a more permanent solution to address the time lost during the construction shutdown and the eventual remobilization period. The New York State Senate passed a bill on May 27, 2020 that would allow the City to extend certain land use approvals issued before March 7, 2020 for up to 120 days beyond their stated expiration dates.*
Even with these measures, with limited exceptions, the approvals will expire after a period of time unless proactive measures are taken. Developers and lenders should confirm the status of existing approvals, note their expiration dates (subject to any tolling), and apply for renewals as necessary.
This article describes the requirements to preserve the rights granted by some common land use approvals, and summarizes the expiration dates and renewal procedures for such approvals. (more…)
