Council Committee Holds Hearing on Rent Stabilization Extension [UPDATE: Legislation Passes Council]

Legislation would extend rent stabilization laws for three years and call on state legislature to strengthen existing laws.  On March 2, 2015 the City Council Committee on Housing and Buildings held a public hearing on Intro 685, a proposed law to amend the city’s administrative code and extend New York City’s existing rent stabilization laws.  Intro 685 declares the existence of a “housing emergency”, where the city’s vacancy rate drops below 5 percent, and … <Read More>


Zoning Subcommittee Modifies Special Permit for Broome Street Conversion

Permit will allow Use Group 2 residential on the third through sixth floors only.  On March 9, 2015 the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises voted to approve a modified special permit for the conversion of 498 Broome Street in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District of Manhattan to Use Group 2 residential.  The approved permit restricts conversion of the building to Use Group 2 residential for only the third through sixth floors, and leaves … <Read More>


CPC Authorizes New JLWQA Units in Historic District

Authorization permits conversion of retail space in two buildings to JLWQA.  On February 18, 2015 the City Planning Commission voted to grant Workspace, Inc. authorization to convert existing retail space into three designated Joint Live-Work Quarters for Artists units and related storage.  The units will be located on the ground floor and in the cellar space of two buildings in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District of Manhattan, between 106 and 112 Spring Street.


CPC Approves Building Conversion in Historic District

Special permit will allow a vacant mixed-use building in SoHo to convert to residential use.  On February 4, 2015 the City Planning Commission voted to grant a special permit to Goose Mountain NYC, LLC to develop a six-story building at 498 Broome Street in the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District of Manhattan as a residential property.  The permit would allow Use Group 2 residential uses on portions of the ground floor, as well as … <Read More>


BSA Vested Rights Decision Upheld by First Department

First Department recognized retroactive validation of a permit.  In 2005, the Board of Standards and Appeals denied recognition of GRA V, LLC’s common law vested right to perform work under a Department of Buildings permit on the grounds Buildings deemed the underlying permit invalid.  (See CityLand’s extensive previous coverage here.)  A common law vested right occurs when a developer performs substantial work in reliance that the underlying permit or zoning is valid.  In 2011, … <Read More>


CPC Approves New Through-Block Building in Ladies’ Mile

Permit allows construction of building and an underground parking garage. On February 4, 2015 the City Planning Commission approved a special permit application by 7 West 21 LLC for the construction of an eighteen-story mixed-use building at 7 West 21st Street in the Ladies’ Mile Historic District of Manhattan.  The building will feature 300 units of rental housing, 8,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, and a 200-space underground parking garage.  The Commission held a … <Read More>