Demolition contractor fined $3,400

Contractor left job but work continued under its expired permit. An officer from Buildings issued B & A Demolition & Removal notices of violation for engaging in demolition work with an expired permit, failing to safeguard the public and property affected by demolition operations, failing to post a required Department of Transportation permit, and failing to provide adequate housekeeping during demolition operations. At a hearing, B & A claimed that it had been fired from … <Read More>


Joshua Benson on DOT’s Bicycle Program

Joshua Benson, the 33-year-old Acting Director of Bicycle & Pedestrian Programs for the New York City Department of Transportation, admits to being particularly fond of the basket sitting at the front of his simple single-speed bike, noting how it allows him to carry anything from groceries to his laptop and projector on the bike. Benson started riding a bike as a student at NYU and now commutes to Downtown Manhattan every weekday from his home … <Read More>


Redesigned Broadway “bus bulbs” approved

Bus bulb in SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District. Photo: CityLand.

Existing bus bulbs, installed in 2007, impeded pedestrian and handicapped access. On September 8, 2009, Landmarks heard testimony on the Department of Transportation’s proposal to redesign two bus stop curb extensions, referred to as “bus bulbs,” along Broadway in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District. DOT installed the bus bulbs in 2007 to facilitate the movement of transit buses by eliminating the need for buses to pull … <Read More>


A Fresh, but not Inexperienced, Face at the Helm of MAS

Vin Cipolla, who took the reins at the Municipal Art Society as Executive Director early this year, brings a varied background in nonprofit and for-profit settings to his new endeavor. Prior to joining MAS, he was President and CEO of the National Park Foundation in Washington D.C. Bringing a national perspective and entrepreneurial experience to the venerable 116-year-old institution, Cipolla intends to maintain MAS’s relevancy and authority into the 21st century.

An eclectic resume. Cipolla … <Read More>


Robin Stout on the Future of the Moynihan Station Project

I n 2005, Robin Stout was appointed President of the Moynihan Station Development Corporation, the Empire State Development Corporation’s subsidiary charged with transforming the James A. Farley Post Office Building into a new train hall named for the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Stout, a Columbia Law School graduate, spent nine years at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP before joining the ESDC as Senior Counsel to the 42nd Street Development Project in 1990. Transforming … <Read More>


Parking lot rules for SI malls sent to Council

Subcommittee asks Planning to consider a Citywide proposal in future. On June 4, 2009, the City Council’s Land Use Committee recommended approval of the Department of City Planning’s Cross Access Connection proposal. The plan, which affects all C4-1, C8, and M districts in Staten Island, calls for the creation of cross access connections (driveways) between parking lots adjacent to malls or community facility developments. The proposal is designed to allow cars to go to several … <Read More>