Staten Island’s Sandy Ground area downzoned

Rezoning proposed to prevent attached homes in area settled by freed slaves in 1827. On February 3, 2010, the City Council approved State Senator Andrew J. Lanza’s rezoning proposal for the Sandy Ground neighborhood of Staten Island. Sandy Ground, also known as Rossville, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as one of the country’s oldest communities established by freed slaves. The rezoning impacts 35 blocks generally bounded by the West … <Read More>


Willets Point Group Denied Equal Protection Claim

City chose not to heavily invest in Willets Point infrastructure. In November 2008, the City Council approved a $3 billion development plan for Willets Point, an industrial neighborhood in northern Queens. When implemented, the plan would transform the low-end commercial area into a mixed-use community with residential, retail, hotel, and entertainment uses. Under the plan, the City could utilize eminent domain to acquire property needed for development. The Willets Point Industry and Realty Association, an … <Read More>


New Midtown rail station approved for ARC Project

Nation’s largest mass transit project will double NJ Transit’s commuter rail capacity into Manhattan. The City Council approved the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s applications related to the $8.7 billion Access to Region’s Core (ARC) passenger rail project. Jointly sponsored by the Port Authority and New Jersey Transit, the project’s goal is to double the capacity of NJ Transit’s commuter rail service into Manhattan by building a rail tunnel under the Hudson … <Read More>


A Fresh, but not Inexperienced, Face at the Helm of MAS

Vin Cipolla, who took the reins at the Municipal Art Society as Executive Director early this year, brings a varied background in nonprofit and for-profit settings to his new endeavor. Prior to joining MAS, he was President and CEO of the National Park Foundation in Washington D.C. Bringing a national perspective and entrepreneurial experience to the venerable 116-year-old institution, Cipolla intends to maintain MAS’s relevancy and authority into the 21st century.

An eclectic resume. Cipolla … <Read More>


Coney Island Plan Debated

Public comments focus on affordable housing and concerns over likelihood of development in the area. On May 6, 2009, the City Planning Commission heard extensive testimony regarding the comprehensive rezoning proposal for Coney Island. The proposal would establish a new Special Coney Island District to guide redevelopment and revitalization of 19 blocks bounded by Mermaid Avenue to the north, the Riegelmann Boardwalk to the south, West 24th Street to the west, and the New York … <Read More>


Paul Goldberger discusses design, projects, and people

Paul Goldberger, the New Yorker’s architectural critic, previously spent 25 years as the architecture critic for the New York Times. Goldberger received a Pulitzer Prize in 1984 for distinguished criticism, and has authored several books, most recently Up From Zero, an examination of the process of developing the former World Trade Center site.

Originally an English student at Yale, Goldberger felt himself continually drawn to architecture, journeying all night to see le Corbusier buildings and … <Read More>