Welcome to CityLand‘s eighth annual top ten stories of the year! We have selected a range of our most popular and prominent stories concerning New York City land use in 2019. Our 2019 coverage was highlighted by articles concerning land use approvals for large scale projects, affordable housing proposals, and projects that faced pushback from local communities who were concerned about infrastructure, access to transportation and local resources, and affordable housing. We at CityLand are excited to continue providing in-depth coverage of the latest land use projects, cases, and legislation in 2020 and look forward to seeing what the year will bring. Thank you for all of your support and have a happy new year!
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99 Vandam Street
Loft Law prevents using bankruptcy as a tool to circumvent housing law. In 2002, Bridge Associates of Soho, Inc. (“Bridge Associates”) acquired 99 Vandam Street in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. 99 Vandam is a seven-story residential loft building that has been governed by Article 7-C of the New York Multiple Dwelling Law (“Loft Law”) since approximately 1991. Loft Law governs the conversion of manufacturing and commercial use buildings to residential use buildings. The law generally requires landlords to bring buildings into conformity with the required laws and codes for residential occupancy. Since acquiring the once commercial building, Bridge Associates never received a certificate of occupancy for residential use, nor have they commenced the process to bring the property into compliance with the Loft Law.
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Partial Site Rendering Image Credit: NYCEDC
A Bronx not-for-profit sues City over the sale of waterfront property to a private developer. The City sold Pier 5 to a private developer to facilitate the construction of the Bronx Point development. Pier 5 is a 4.4 acre plot of land bounded by Mill Pond Park to the North, the 149th Street Bridge to the South, the Major Deegan Expressway to the East and the Harlem River to the West. The development anticipates mixed-affordable housing, state of the art community facilities, open spaces and a waterfront esplanade. To read Cityland’s prior coverage of the Bronx Point development click here.
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Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators gather to protest nuclear arms, on the Great Lawn of Central Park in New York, June 12, 1982. Since the election of President Donald Trump, New York City has been host to many protests hostile to his agenda, with the women’s march drawing about 400,000 participants on Jan. 21, 2017. (Keith Meyers/The New York Times)
Corey Kilgannon of the New York Times wrote about the use of the Great Lawn in Central Park for OZYFEST, “a splashy weekend long event on July 20 and 21 with multiple stages and top tickets selling for $400.” (NY Times, 7/13/19) Portions of the Great Lawn will be closed to the public for nine days in order to accommodate the festival. The use of the Great Lawn to facilitate a commercial venture raises the following questions: What and who is the Great Lawn intended to serve? The first amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides for first amendment protest rallies on the Great Lawn. Have such rallies been permitted in recent years: If not, why not? (more…)
Superstorm Sandy. Image Credit: NASA/Wikimedia Commons
Homeowner claimed benefits under disaster recovery program implemented after Super Storm Sandy. In November 2013, Brooklyn attorney Christopher McCollum applied for benefits under the Build It Back program established by the City following Super Storm Sandy. McCollum claimed that his home sustained damage to its windows, backyard, roof, chimney, and façade during Super Storm Sandy. (more…)
