Mayor Reveals Task Force Recommendations to Convert Underused Office Space to Housing

On January 9, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced a set of recommendations from the Office Adaptive Reuse Task Force for changes to state laws and city zoning requirements to make it easier for the conversion of underused office space to housing. The COVID-19 pandemic transformed how many companies operate, transitioning to work-from-home or hybrid structures that require less office space, while the city experiences an ongoing affordable housing crisis.


Mayor Reappoints Landmarks Chair Sarah Carroll and Nominates Anthony Crowell and Gail Benjamin to City Planning

Sarah Carroll will serve an additional seven years at Landmarks, while Gail Benjamin and NYLS Dean Anthony Crowell will join City Planning for five years. On August 5, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams nominated Sarah Carroll to continue as Chair of Landmarks Preservation Commission and nominated Gail Benjamin and Anthony Crowell to the City Planning Commission. Landmarks commissioners serve seven-year terms, while City Planning commissioners serve for five years.


City Planning Hears Application for Four New Affordable Buildings in East New York

The sites are all located within a few blocks from each other. On March 30, 2022, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing for an application that would facilitate the construction of four new buildings with a total of 46 affordable units in East New York, Brooklyn. The four sites are located at 492-496 Glenmore Avenue, 2358-2362 Pitkin Avenue, 943 Dumont Avenue, and 743 Blake Avenue, as part of the Sutter Place Neighborhood Construction <Read More>


City Planning Hears Application for Last Building of Ongoing Broadway Triangle Project

On March 16, 2022, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing for Bartlett Crossing Site A-2, one of the five buildings that comprises the larger affordable housing Broadway Triangle project. Broadway Triangle is an affordable housing development consisting of five buildings across four sites. Bartlett Crossing Site A-1 is located on Flushing Avenue between Harrison Avenue and Whipple Street. The other three sites, Site A-2, Site B and Site C are all located on <Read More>


Claim for Brownfield benefits advances

Property owner sought tax benefits for remediating contaminated sites already under voluntary State remediation consent order. In 2007, National Grid signed a consent order with the New York City Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to remediate hazardous wastes from National Grid’s closed manufactured gas plant sites. National Grid removed some of the hazardous waste from two adjacent sites located at 94 N. 13th Street and 121 N. 12th Street, Brooklyn.


GUEST COMMENTARY: Hudson Yards – Setting the Record Straight (or Don’t Doubt its Success)

I was motivated to respond to an article by Robert Kuttner on The American Prospect website that in general argued that a tax-subsidized project was facing impending collapse which could provide an opportunity for affordable housing. I have no problem with the author disliking Hudson Yards and he wouldn’t be the first or only one to do so. I believe, however, that the American Prospect piece contains misinformation on the Hudson Yards project. This article … <Read More>