The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway: Time is Running Out

One year ago, in January 2020, the Expert Panel assigned by Mayor Bill de Blasio to study the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway issued its Final Report. Mayor de Blasio in 2019 appointed the seventeen-person Expert Panel* of which I was a member, following the angry rejection of New York City DOT’s plan for reconstructing the section of the BQE adjacent to Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo and Downtown Brooklyn. City DOT presented its plan publicly September 2019. The … <Read More>


City Announces Completion on Two Brooklyn Major Protected Bike Lanes

The recently completed projects are part of an effort to add more protected bike lanes in Brooklyn by the end of the year. The protected bike lanes are part of the City’s Green Wave plan for cycling. On November 5, 2020 Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the completion of two protected bike lanes in Brooklyn. The new Flatbush Avenue and 4th Avenue protected bike lanes add 3.2 miles of protected lanes.


Appellate Division Provides Major Win for Two Bridges Developers

Two Bridges development gets Appellate Division ruling but two lawsuits remain pending. On August 27, 2020, the First Department’s Appellate Division unanimously ruled in favor of a Lower East Side development that would consist of four towers, 11,000 square feet of retail, and over 2,700 residential units. Of the 2,700 residential units, approximately 700 units will be dedicated to affordable housing and 200 units will be set aside for senior housing. The project’s development group … <Read More>


Landmarks Approves One-Story Commercial Development in Fulton Ferry HD, Brooklyn with Modifications

The new building features arched windows and entryway inspired by arches of buildings within the historic district. On February 11, 2020, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to approve, with modifications, a Certificate of Appropriateness to construct a new one-story commercial building on a vacant lot located at 20 Old Fulton Street. The lot is on the south side of Old Fulton Street, between Everit Street to the west and Elizabeth Place to the east. The … <Read More>


Landmarks Asks for More Context for Brooklyn Heights Certificate of Appropriateness

Formerly approved design seeks re-approval with modifications. On October 8, 2019, the Landmarks Preservation Commission heard an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness, to construct a new three-story, single-family residential building on a vacant lot located at 27 Cranberry Street in Brooklyn. The lot is located on the north side of Cranberry Street, on the middle of the block between Willow Street and Hicks Street. The block consists of primarily three and four-story rowhouses. Directly … <Read More>