Twelve residential buildings to be converted to dorms over opposition. St. John’s University proposed to convert 12 three-unit apartment buildings into dormitories, increasing the potential student occupancy from 108 to 162. St John’s currently uses the buildings, located along Union Turnpike in Flushing, Queens, as apartments for its students. The plan called for no alteration or enlargement to the buildings; however the use change would render the buildings noncompliant with the City’s 15-foot yard requirement, … <Read More>
BSA hears appeal challenging NYU dorm
- Challenge to construction of this 26-story, East 12th Street NYU dorm heard by BSA. Photo:Morgan Kunz.
East Village residents opposed lot merger needed for construction of 26-story dormitory. On April 17, 2007, BSA held a contentious hearing on New York University’s 26- story dormitory, currently under construction on East 12th Street in the East Village. In September 2006, a court refused to halt construction while residents appealed the building permit to BSA. 3 CityLand 144 … <Read More>
BID for Sunnyside,Queens approved
Plan encompasses 290 businesses in Sunnyside. On February 7, 2007, the Planning Commission approved an application by the Department of Small Business Services to create the Sunnyside Business Improvement District to cover 92 tax lots and 290 businesses primarily along Queens Boulevard, and Roosevelt and Greenpoint Avenues. The proposed BID will focus on sidewalk and gutter cleaning, graffiti removal and snow removal for bus shelters.
The $300,000 first-year budget will come from assessments on commercial … <Read More>
HPD pushes through 517 affordable housing units
Manhattan, Bronx and Brooklyn housing projects approved; sent to Council. On March 28 and April 11, 2007, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development obtained Planning Commission approval for eight affordable housing projects, totaling 517 units, to be developed in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
Two of the Bronx projects, including the 50-unit Fox Leggett Cooperative Apartments and the 162- unit Grant Avenue Cooperative Apartments, provide ownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income families. Both of … <Read More>
Three Bronx neighborhood rezonings approved
- Harding Park/Clason Point Rezoning. Proposed Zoning used with permission of the NYC Department of City Planning. All rights reserved.
Rezoning encompasses unique residential co-op on Bronx waterfront. Responding to concerns over increasing out-of-scale development, City Planning initiated rezoning studies of Harding Park, Clason Point and Park Stratton in the Bronx, ultimately proposing to rezone 47 blocks.
Under the proposal, 34 blocks of Harding Park and Clason Point, located along the peninsula bounded by the Bronx … <Read More>
Sale of 4 closed FDNY firehouses sparks controversy
Mayor’s Office agrees to create community committees to find new users. On April 9, 2007, the Planning Commission approved four applications by DCAS to sell four closed firehouses in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. The plan sparked controversy with residents, community boards, Borough Presidents Scott Stringer and Marty Markowitz, and Council Members Bill de Blasio and David Yassky, who argued that their districts needed increased FDNY services and, if the firehouses remained closed, only a community … <Read More>