BSA legalizes newly constructed oversized home

Owner claims to be unaware that contractor built home larger than permit authorized. Yitzchok Shindler applied to Buildings for a permit to enlarge the first, second and third floors of his home at 1231 East 21st Street at Avenue K in Brooklyn. Buildings received complaints about the construction and, upon inspection, found that Shindler had demolished most of the home and built beyond the permit’s scope. His home was now over 1,600 sq.ft. larger than … <Read More>


Residential/retail approved for Sixth Ave. and Canal

BSA reduces project size by almost 7,000 sq.ft. SoHo Island, LLC applied to BSA for a use variance to construct a nine-story, 73,645- square-foot residential and retail building on Sixth Avenue between Canal and Grand Streets in SoHo. The 11,300-square-foot development site consists of three merged lots zoned for manufacturing. Currently, the site contains the Moondance Diner, a paved parking lot and a two-story building with a garage and a photography shop, all of … <Read More>


Hotel approved for splitzoned lot

BSA okays hotel only after reduction of 18,000 sq.ft. After four proposals and five public hearings, BSA approved development of a 48-foot tall, four-story transient hotel in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. The site of the hotel, at 806/814 Coney Island Avenue, is comprised of five contiguous lots totaling 32,153 sq.ft., split by commercial (C8-2) and residential (R5) districts and currently contains a one-story garage. The owner required a variance to permit the hotel’s proposed size in … <Read More>


Owner withdraws variance application

Owner sought variance to construct catering facility and 89-room hotel. Tikvah Realty LLC, owner of Le Marquise Caterers, a catering facility located at 815 Kings Highway in Homecrest, Brooklyn, applied to BSA for a variance to construct a new catering facility with 89 hotel rooms, ground floor retail, and 394 below-grade accessory parking spaces. The project exceeded the limits on floor area and failed to provide sufficient parking. The proposal called for the catering facility … <Read More>


Owner wins right to complete construction

City designated lot to become part of Hudson Boulevard and city park. Affirmation Arts Ltd. received building and demolition permits in 2004 to add an additional story and mezzanine totaling 3,206 sq.ft. to the three-story building at 523 West 37th Street. In January 2005, before Affirmation finished the work, the City approved the Hudson Yards rezoning, its massive land use initiative for Manhattan’s west side.

Under the Hudson Yards rezoning, Affirmation’s lot at West 37th … <Read More>


162-space garage starts hearing process

City Planning receives three different applications for garages in the Columbus Circle area. On April 3, 2006, the Planning Commission certified an application by William Zeckendorf, on behalf of 15 CPW Realty, LLC, for a special permit to allow a 162-space public parking garage to be located within the as-of- right development on the former Mayflower Hotel site. The certification begins the public review process and starts the time clock for review set by ULURP, … <Read More>