Mayor Announces ULURP Restart

NYC Engage announced with ULURP restart. On July 15, 2020, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the City Planning Commission will start holding remote hearings, beginning with an August 3, 2020 Review Session and a public meeting on August 5, 2020. The Mayor also announced the launch of “NYC Engage,” a new online portal intended to facilitate public engagement during the remote public hearings. The last time that the City … <Read More>


ULURP Remains Suspended, What Next?

Why did ULURP remain suspended when so many City agencies and public bodies took to virtual operations? On March 16, 2020, the Department of City Planning announced that, pursuant to an executive order from Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure and all relevant public hearings and votes were suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the suspension, Community Boards, Borough Presidents, and the City Council have virtually convened to … <Read More>


Landmarks Votes to Designate Manida Street HD

The designation created the 150th historic district in New York City. On June 23, 2020, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to create the Manida Street Historic District in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. The designation followed support from local residents, community activists, and elected officials who wanted to preserve 42 semi-detached brick houses along Manida Street from Garrison to Lafayette Avenues. 


Landmarks Approves New Three Story Residential Building in Bedford-Stuyvesant/Expanded Stuyvesant Heights HD

The building’s ground-floor storefront design was inspired by the commercial storefronts seen on the block. On June 9, 2020, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to issue a binding report for the construction of a new three-story residential building on a vacant lot located at 358 Malcolm X Boulevard, Brooklyn. The vacant lot is located within the Bedford-Stuyvesant/Expanded Stuyvesant Heights Historic District. The proposal is part of a Department of Housing and Preservation Development affordable housing … <Read More>


CityLaw Profile: Elizabeth Fine, General Counsel, Empire State Development Corporation

Elizabeth Fine became General Counsel and Executive Vice-President of the Empire State Development Corporation in 2014 after a long career of government service. Fine grew up in New Haven, Washington D.C., and Lima, Peru. Her family eventually settled in the Boston area, where Fine graduated Brookline High School. Jonathan Fine, Elizabeth’s father, had worked in Lima for the Agency for International Development while her mother, Edith W. Fine, was an administrator for the Peace Corp. … <Read More>


Landmarks Calendars Jamaica, Queens Public School for Designation

The public school building’s design and details set it apart from other school buildings built during the early 20th century. On June 9, 2020, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to calendar Public School 48 in Jamaica, Queens for designation as an individual landmark. Public School 48, located at 155-02 108th Avenue, is an Art Deco style three-story public school building designed by Walter C. Martin.