Council approves St. Albans & Hollis rezoning

Downzoning will preserve residential character. On October 29, 2007, the City Council approved, with modifications, City Planning’s plan to rezone 317 blocks in the St. Albans and Hollis sections of Queens.

The plan, the result of a collaborative effort between Queens Community Board 12, Council Member Leroy Comrie, and City Planning, seeks to protect the area after market pressures forced some owners to sub-divide their lots or tear down existing one- and two-family homes in … <Read More>


Council OK’s new design standards for public plazas

New standards and guidelines intended to improve public use. The City Council approved City Planning’s proposal to update, improve, and consolidate rules for privately owned public spaces.

Under the old zoning, a developer in parts of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens can generate a floor area bonus of up to 20 percent if it builds an adjacent publicly-accessible open space, such as a plaza, arcade, or galleria. In practice, however, many of these privately owned public … <Read More>


Sunnyside Gardens landmarked

The new historic district becomes the largest in Queens. On October 29, 2007, the City Council approved Landmarks’ proposal to designate Sunnyside Gardens, making it the seventh largest historic district in the city.

In June, Landmarks voted to designate Sunnyside Gardens despite it being zoned as a Special Planned Community Preservation District, which requires local homeowners to apply to the Planning Commisssion for a special permit before altering their building or landscaping. 4 CityLand 92 … <Read More>


Community Board 9’s Pat Jones Talks About the Future of Manhattanville

The day before CityLand met with Manhattan Community Board 9’s Pat Jones, Borough President Scott Stringer announced his recommendation in support of Columbia University’s expansion plan—the same plan Community Board 9 rejected because it conflicts with the proposed development plan Ms. Jones helped draft. While most people would be deflated by such a turn of events, Ms. Jones remained calm and focused, as she sat down with CityLand to discuss the future of Manhattanville.

Raised … <Read More>


Stuy Town Tenants’ Claims Dismissed

Tenants at Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village claimed that owners covered by rent regulations. Tenants of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village sued property owner PCV ST Owner LP and general partner Tishman Speyer Properties, seeking damages for rent overcharges and a declaration that rent regulation should continue as long as the property owner received J-51 tax benefits. The tenants alleged that the owner had deregulated more than 25% of the units … <Read More>


Deputy Mayor seeks $11.2M in state funds

Projects intended to spur development in Harlem and Jamaica. On September 21, 2007, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development held a hearing in the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s offices to receive public comment on the City’s plan to seek State funds for two redevelopment projects in Harlem and Jamaica. The City hopes to secure State funding under the Restore New York’s Communities Initiative, a State initiative created last year to … <Read More>