Proposed extension of SoHo-Cast Iron district.

Proposed extension includes two subsections consisting of 135 properties. Landmarks heard extensive testimony on a proposal to extend the SoHo- Cast Iron Historic District to include 135 properties in two subsections bordering the east and west sides of the existing district. The western subsection includes buildings on West Broadway’s western side between Houston and Grand Streets. The eastern subsection is larger and includes portions of Crosby, Lafayette, and Centre Streets between Houston and Canal Streets.

The proposed extension includes cast-iron and masonry commercial buildings from the post- Civil War era that are similar in period and style to buildings within the historic district’s current boundaries. The extension also features architecture in the Italianate, Second Empire, and Romanesque Revival styles. Mary Beth Betts, Landmarks’ research director, said Landmarks had received several expansion proposals from community groups and individuals, and noted that the submitted proposal represented the results of a staff-conducted survey. (more…)

Community board puts forward its own plan to revitalize industrial waterfront. On October 7, 2009, the City Planning Commission heard testimony on Brooklyn Community Board 7’s plan to revitalize the Sunset Park waterfront. The plan is permitted under section 197-a of the City Charter, which authorizes community boards to propose a framework for future development in their districts. CB7 developed the comprehensive proposal over a thirteen-year period with input from local residents, businesses, and civic groups. The plan addresses a 2.5-mile stretch along the East River waterfront bounded by 15th Street to the north, the 65th Street Rail Yard to the south, the Gowanus Expressway/Third Avenue corridor to the east, and the pierhead line to the west.

The City owns most of the property on the waterfront, including the Brooklyn Army Terminal, South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, Bush Terminal Piers, and Brooklyn Wholesale Meat Market. The waterfront is zoned for heavy and light manufacturing, with pockets of small residential districts. The area served as a maritime and shipping center throughout the 20th century but fell into disrepair during the 1960s and 1970s. (more…)

City Planning Commission approved Related Companies’ Kingsbridge Armory plan,with four Commissioners voting against proposal. On October 19, 2009, the City Planning Commission approved Related Companies’ proposal to redevelop the landmarked Kingsbridge Armory in northwest Bronx. The plan is a result of the combined efforts of the EDC and the Kingsbridge Armory Task Force, which was established by the City in 2006 to facilitate the development of the vacant building.

Related’s proposal includes building a four-story structure within the armory’s 180,000 sq.ft. drill hall, leaving its landmarked exterior unaltered. Combined with the armory’s three basement levels, this would create seven levels of usable space. The project would provide 500,000 sq.ft. of commercial and retail space, including a movie theater and fitness facility. It would also provide 27,000 sq.ft. of community facility space, 30,000 sq.ft. of public open space, and approximately 400 sub-level accessory parking spaces. (more…)

FRESH program would create incentives to encourage developing full-line grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods. On October 26, 2009, the City Council’s Zoning & Franchises Subcommittee heard testimony on the City’s proposed Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program. The program would provide zoning and financial incentives to encourage grocerystores in neighborhoods identified in a 2008 study as being underserved by stores offering a full range of fresh food. These neighborhoods are located primarily in northern Manhattan, southern Bronx, central Brooklyn, and areas of Queens.

The program would apply to manufacturing and commercial districts within the underserved communities. Stores qualifying for benefits would be required to provide at least 6,000 sq.ft. of space for food and non-food products, and at least 2,000 sq.ft. or 30 percent of space, whichever is greater, for perishable goods. Currently, grocery stores up to 10,000 sq.ft. are permitted in M1 districts, but under the proposal stores up to 30,000 sq.ft. would be permitted as-of-right. (more…)

Program would create floor area bonus and other incentives in effort to increase number of grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods. On August 5, 2009, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on the City’s proposed Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program. The program, a joint effort by the Department of City Planning and the City’s Economic Development Corporation, is a response to a City-sponsored study from 2008 finding that low- and moderate-income neighborhoods had been underserved by grocery stores offering a full range of products, including fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables. As part of the program, Planning proposed a text amendment that would create zoning incentives to promote the creation of full-line grocery stores in these neighborhoods.

Among the incentives, mixed-use buildings would receive one square foot of additional residential floor area for every square foot used to provide a FRESH food store, up to a maximum of 20,000 sq.ft. To accommodate the extra floor area, the Commission would be authorized to increase the building’s maximum height by 15 feet. The proposed amendment would reduce the parking requirements for grocery stores and also allow as-of-right grocery stores up to 30,000 sq.ft. in M1 zoning districts, eliminating the need for a special permit. Under the program, FRESH food stores would be eligible for financial incentives from the City’s Industrial Development Agency, including breaks on real estate and sales taxes. (more…)