EDC reissued request for development proposals after community opposed first plan. On October 18, 2006, the New York City Economic Development Corporation reissued a request for proposals for a six-acre lot in East Harlem bounded by East 125th and 127th Streets and Third and Second Avenues after the community opposed the original winning plan.

The six-acre proposed site currently contains an MTA bus storage facility, which the selected developer must move underground, as well as local businesses. The City owns 81 percent of the project site and the EDC is working on the acquisition of the remaining lots through purchases or condemnation. City Planning is currently working on its East 125th Street/River-to-River study, a planning effort aimed at generating a development framework for the entire span of 125th Street between the Harlem and Hudson Rivers. (more…)

Church sought approval for 35 market- rate residential units in East Harlem. BSA granted a variance to the Church of the Resurrection, permitting an eight-story residential building at 325 East 101st Street, in East Harlem, Manhattan. The new 47,984-square-foot building will be located on an 8,629-square-foot lot that currently contains a two-story church, which will be demolished. The new building will contain a church and elementary school on the first and second floors, and 35,552 sq.ft. of market-rate residential space constituting 35 dwelling units on the third through eighth floors.

Church of the Resurrection required variances for FAR, lot coverage, and rear yard size. After proposing two scenarios utilizing below-ground space to reduce FAR and building costs, Church of the Resurrection argued that as-of-right development would not allow a reasonable return due to incremental construction costs related to bedrock depth, poor soil and below-grade groundwater. Church of the Resurrection also noted that the development was smaller than neighboring ten-story, 200-unit residential buildings. (more…)

Bridge spanning Harlem River to be built adjacent to outdated bridge. DOT sought a City Map amendment to delineate a new bridge easement and bridge corridor facilitating construction of the Willis Avenue Bridge replacement, connecting First Avenue and East 125th Street in Manhattan with Willis Avenue and East 132nd Street in the Bronx. The replacement bridge will be located directly adjacent to and south of the existing bridge and will also require landfill removal along the Bronx waterfront.

The existing swing-span bridge, over one hundred years old, fails to meet current structural and seismic requirements or geometric design standards and has sharp, curving, substandard entrance ramps that slow traffic flow. Major changes to the existing bridge’s alignment would be needed to meet current standards. (more…)

Planning Department and Council rezoned lots for television studio expansion. WMC Associates LLC obtained the Council’s approval to up-zone three of its four lots on Park Avenue between East 106th and East 107th Streets in East Harlem, Manhattan. Prior to the rezoning, three of WMC’s lots were zoned R7-2, which did not permit commercial use. The approved action up-zoned the three lots to C8-4, making them consistent with the fourth lot and permitting use as a television studio with a 5.0 commercial FAR. WMC will convert the existing commercial office buildings and driveway into additional studio space, but will not alter the buildings’ envelope.

At the Council’s December 15, 2005 Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises hearing, the new zoning lots were approved. The full Council approved on December 21, 2005. (more…)

Owner sought to legalize ‘car wash, auto-lubrication station and accessory retail building. 2 113 First Avenue, llC, owner of two lots used for auto-related uses located at 338 East 109th Street in a residential district, sought a variance to legalize the existing car wash, auto-lubrication station and accessory retail building.

In its application to BSA, 2 1 13 represented that the oddly shaped lots and residential zoning made as-of-right development infeasible and that parts of the premises have been used for auto-related purposes for over 75 years. The developer also argued that the auto uses provided an economic benefit to the neighborhood. (more…)