New district to include over 352 businesses. On May 21, 2008, the City Planning Commission approved an application by the New York City Department of Small Business Services to create the Belmont Business Improvement District, located in the Bronx in the neighborhood generally known as Little Italy. The Belmont BID would be bounded by East Fordham Road to the north, Lorillard Place to the west, East 183rd Street to the south, and Southern Boulevard to … <Read More>
New Mixed-Use Bldg. in SoHo-Cast Iron HD Approved
Arpad Baksa-designed, six-story building to be located within corridor between historic Broome and Wooster Streets. On May 7, 2008, the City Planning Commission approved Rocksprings Management Company’s proposal to build a six-story, 12,498-square-foot residential building, with ground-floor retail, at 52 Wooster Street.
Currently, a ten-space parking lot occupies the site, which is located in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District on the corner of Broome and Wooster Streets. Surrounding the site are five- and six-story … <Read More>
City Planning submits East Village rezoning
City seeks 111-block rezoning for contextual districts with height limits. On May 5, 2008, the Department of City Planning certified its proposal to rezone 111 blocks in the East Village and Lower East Side sections of Manhattan. The proposal covers an area bounded by East 13th Street to the north, Avenue D to the east, Delancey Street to the south, and Third Avenue to the west. Once considered the densest concentration of people in the … <Read More>
Commission modifies Hunts Pt. Special District
Alterations are designed to restrict big-box retail and hotel developments. On May 21, 2008, the City Planning Commission voted to approve, with modifications, the Department of City Planning’s proposal to rezone a 70-block area in the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. The area City Planning proposes to rezone is bounded by the Bruckner Expressway, Halleck Street, and Ryawa and Oak Point Avenues.
Consisting of 690 acres, the Hunts Point peninsula is characterized by … <Read More>
Council considers 12 construction site safety bills
Unions, contractors, and developers call for public benefit corporation to replace DOB. On May 6, 2008, the City Council’s Housing and Buildings Committee heard testimony from the acting Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings, Robert LiMandri, and the public on a dozen proposed local laws aimed at improving safety at construction sites in the City.
Council Member Jessica Lappin sponsored Intro 760 that would give Buildings the power to order a … <Read More>
Kenneth K. Fisher Shares His Insights on Term Limits, Land Use Law, and Government
Kenneth K. Fisher was born into a political family. The son of Harold Fisher, the former Chairman of the MTA, Fisher “didn’t grow up playing golf or tennis” but rather “handing out flyers” at every election for as long as he can remember. In fact, his earliest memories consist of “campaigning for Hugh Carey and John F. Kennedy.”
After attaining his law degree from Syracuse University, Fisher joined the New York State Energy Research and … <Read More>