[UPDATE]: City Council Approves HPD Proposal to Develop Affordable Housing in Brownsville, Brooklyn

The three sites will have amenities for residents and are transit accessible. On September 25, 2019, the City Council voted to approve an application to develop affordable housing on three City-owned properties located in Brownsville, Brooklyn.  The properties are located at 47 New Lots Avenue, 609-615 Osborn Street, and 120-122 Liberty Avenue. The three properties are small, underutilized sites and are currently vacant. The application proposed the development of two residential buildings and one mixed-use … <Read More>


City Council Passes Legislation Enhancing HPD’s Ability to Recoup Relocation Expenses

Intro 30-A gives HPD liens a stronger position. On August 14, 2019, City Council passed Intro 30-A providing that the City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s (“HPD”) orders to vacate the premises, and the subsequent costs to relocate the displaced tenant would now be considered high status tax liens on the property. The law is intended to discourage the negligence of building owners and give HPD an ability to recover relocation expenses of those … <Read More>


City Council Approves Major Bay Street Corridor Plan with Modifications

Before reaching the City Council, the project received mixed support over concerns that the area was ill-equipped for the increased density. On June 26, 2019, City Council voted to approve with modifications an application that would help implement a major City-initiated plan to redevelop Staten Island’s Bay Street Corridor, which connects the St. George, Tompkinsville, and Stapleton neighborhoods. The comprehensive plan will redevelop the Bay Street Corridor into a walkable, transit-oriented community that provides … <Read More>


City Council Approves City Planning’s Mechanical Voids Text Amendment

Developers were using excessive mechanical spaces to increase the height of their buildings. On May 29, 2019, the City Council voted to adopt the Residential Tower Mechanical Voids Text Amendment with modifications. The Department of City Planning proposed the amendment in response to developers incorporating excessively tall mechanical floors – “mechanical voids” – in residential towers to increase their allowable height, as mechanical floors did not count toward the zoning floor area in the Zoning … <Read More>


Council Speaker Johnson and City Council Launch Interactive Map of City’s Parks

The website provides information on the City’s 1,700 parks including park amenities and maintenance funding. On May 24, 2019, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and the City Council announced the launch of an interactive map of the City’s public parks. The map can be accessed on the Council’s Parks in NYC page, offering information on the City’s 1,700 parks including the location of 2,856 playgrounds, 557 basketball courts, 546 handball courts, 34 running tracks, 69 … <Read More>


Major Staten Island Project OK’d by City Planning Despite Significant Opposition; City Council Up Next

The proposed zoning actions were largely disapproved by the Community Board, the Borough President, and even Staten Island’s appointee to the City Planning Commission. The Department of City Planning, along with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services filed an application requesting several ULURP actions to help implement the goals of the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Plan. The Neighborhood Plan is a comprehensive plan to … <Read More>