Landmarks considered designating building for the third time. On July 14, 2009, Landmarks heard testimony on the possible designation of the former Interborough Rapid Transit Powerhouse at West 58th Street and Eleventh Avenue. Designed by Stanford White, the Beaux-Arts style powerhouse is an example of the City Beautiful architectural movement influenced by the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Landmarks considered designating the powerhouse in 1979 and 1990, but never called for a vote on the matter.

The Interborough Rapid Transit Company built the electric powerhouse to run the City’s first subway system in 1904. Con Edison purchased the powerhouse in 1959 and uses the facility to provide steam for numerous private customers. Although much of the original structure has been retained, five of the six original chimneys have been removed, with a much larger chimney added to the southeast corner. The building’s upper cornice and original terra-cotta roof tiles have also been removed. (more…)

Additional hearing on park status set for August 2007. State Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell, IV and Upper East Side residents opposed the City’s plan to reopen the marine transfer station at East 91st Street in Manhattan as part of the Bloomberg administration’s Solid Waste Management Plan. The parties filed an article 78 petition, alleging that the environmental impact statement for the entire waste management plan was insufficient since it failed to adequately assess the construction impacts of reopening the East 91st Street site. The petitioners alleged that the

EIS failed to consider safety issues for residents that use Asphalt Green, an open space next to the transfer station, and it inadequately discussed impacts to Asphalt Green from construction staging and construction of a new ramp. The City also improperly bypassed requisite state approval since construction would require use of a portion of Asphalt Green, which equaled taking over parkland for a non-park purpose.

The City countered that the EIS was sufficient, and contractors would be specifically prohibited from using Asphalt Green for construction staging. According to the City, Asphalt Green is not dedicated parkland and any construction impact would be temporary, failing to constitute a substantial intrusion on dedicated parkland.

Justice Michael Stallman, who had also rejected two earlier challenges to the East 91st Street transfer station, 3 CityLand 144 (Oct. 15, 2006), found the construction analysis in the EIS to be sufficient. The court noted that most construction staging would occur on East River barges and the ramp planned to bisect Asphalt Green would take only 11 months to construct. Due to the short term of construction, the court ruled that the EIS did not need a detailed analysis. (more…)

Council Member Julie Menin, Chair of the Committee on Small Business, speaks at the committee hearing on June 9th. Image Credit: City Council

The New York City Council Committee on Small Business held a public hearing on a proposed digital portal to centralize the information and paperwork necessary to open and run a small business. On June 9, 2022,  the New York City Council’s Committee on Small Business held a public hearing on a proposed bill that would require the City to create and maintain the, “One-Stop Shop NYC Business Portal.” The Portal would be an on-line hub for information and functionality related to opening and running a small business. It is meant to make the process more efficient by allowing business owners to deal with all the necessary city agencies in a single, easily-accessible space. (more…)

Holyrood Episcopal Church-Iglesia Santa Cruz, one of the three sites calendared by LPC on January 19th. Image Credit: LPC

The Equity Framework aims to increase diversity in New York’s landmarks and work within the Landmarks Preservation Commission. On January 19, 2021, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to calendar three sites for designation as part of the agency’s launch of an equity framework designed to better represent New York City’s diversity and underrepresented populations. The three sites calendared for proposed designation are the Conference House Park Archeological Site in Tottenville, Staten Island, the Holyrood Episcopal Church-Iglesia Santa Cruz in Washington Heights, Manhattan, and 70 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. They are all cultural or historic sites that represent different populations across New York’s history. (more…)

Image Credit: New York City Department of Transportation

Three miles of new bike lanes will be created. On October 14, 2020, Mayor de Blasio announced that more than three miles of protected bike lanes have been completed in Midtown Manhattan and the Upper West Side, including uptown protected lanes on both Sixth Avenue and Central Park West. (more…)