Council Subcommittee Hears Proposal for Two Mixed-Use Towers in Long Island City

Community members voiced concerns about infrastructure and affordability for the proposed addition of almost 500 units. On September 17, 2018, the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises heard an application by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) for a proposed two-building mixed-use, mixed-income project on Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, Queens. The developers, Lions Group NYC, and Fetner Properties, also applied … <Read More>


De Blasio Administration Announces Brooklyn-Queens Connector Streetcar

New light rail will bring much-needed connectivity to other existing modes of transportation. On August 30, 2018, the de Blasio Administration announced plans to move forward with the Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX) streetcar project. The emissions-free light rail system will help serve the continuously growing Brooklyn-Queens Waterfront communities that are underserved by existing transportation.


City Planning Approves New Location for Queens Firehouse

The City Planning Commission approved the relocation of a Rockaway Park FDNY station. On August 23, 2017, the New York City Planning Commission issued a favorable report on the FDNY’s application to purchase property located at 116-11 Beach Channel Drive to construct a new firehouse. Engine 268/Ladder 137 of the New York City Fire Department currently operates at 257 Beach 116th Street in Rockaway Park, Queens. The three-story, 10,098-square-foot building was built in 1913 by … <Read More>


City Council Committee Searches for Green Roof Standards and Impetus

City Council’s good faith attempt to provide standards for green roofs falls short. On October 28, 2016, the City Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection held a hearing regarding Introduction 0835-2015, which would amend the building code to establish standards for the selection, installation and maintenance of plants for green roof systems. The proposed legislation would incorporate into the building code a manual by the American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM E 2400, which … <Read More>


City Planning Commission Approves Plans to Build Socrates Sculpture Park

The site has been operating as an open public space for use by local artists and community members since 1986. On April 13, 2016, the City Planning Commission adopted a resolution to approve the amending of the City Map to include the Socrates Sculpture Park, located at 32-01 Vernon Boulevard in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens. The site has been functioning effectively as a public park for local artists and community members for … <Read More>


City Planning Commission Hears Testimony on Proposed Greater JFK Industrial BID

The proposed IBID’s geographic boundaries do not include the JFK airport itself, which ensures it would serve the needs of the surrounding off-airport community. On April 13, 2016, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on the New York City Department of Small Business Services’ application to create the Greater JFK Industrial Business Improvement District, or IBID, located in Springfield Gardens, Queens. Though the proposed IBID would be the largest IBID in the City, … <Read More>