Reconstruction Approved for Restaurant Damaged by Hurricane Sandy

BSA granted a use variance to demolish previous restaurant damaged by Hurricane Sandy and permit construction of a one-story restaurant and additional parking spaces. On June 24, 2014, the Board of Standards and Appeals granted a use variance to Puglia by the Sea, a restaurant, located at 750 Barclay Avenue in the Annadale section of Staten Island. BSA approved the application for Puglia to demolish the original restaurant, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy, … <Read More>


$350 Million Investment In Affordable Housing

Partnership announced to establish a $350 million fund to support affordable housing throughout the City. On July 30, 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Comptroller Scott M. Stringer announced a partnership to establish a $350 million fund to support affordable housing throughout New York City. The new financing was raised through the support of Citi, the New York City Retirement Systems, the New York City Housing Development Corporation, Wells Fargo, Morgan <Read More>


Mayor de Blasio’s Land Use Appointments Carousel Continues

Mayor de Blasio has re-structured the City’s land use administrative hierarchy to further his affordable housing agenda. On July 22, 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio nominated Margery Perlmutter to serve as Chair of the Board of Standards and Appeals. This was the Mayor’s latest appointment  to City land-use positions, all of which will bear heavily on the Mayor’s expansive affordable housing agenda, a ten-year plan designed to preserve some 200,000 units of affordable housing.


Rezoning Approved for Central Harlem Project

Rezoning approved for project that will restore historic church building and provide thirty percent affordable housing to Harlem residents. On June 17, 2014, the City Council Land Use Subcommittee for Zoning and Franchises heard an application submitted by 117th Street Equities, LLC (Artimus) for a zoning map amendment to facilitate a mixed-use development in Central Harlem, Manhattan. The map amendment would rezone an existing R7A to an R8A zoning district on a block … <Read More>


Financing Approved for Affordable Housing Developments

HDC approves the financing to fund 2,226 units of affordable housing. On June 16, 2014, the Board of Directors of the New York City Housing Development Corporation approved the financing for projects in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn which will consist of $2756 million in bonds and $88.7 million in subordinate financing for HDC. The money will be used to construct eleven new buildings with 1,259 affordable housing units and preserve and protect seven projects … <Read More>


Variance Granted for Ten-Story Development Adjacent to High Line

After consistent objections from community board and former City Council Speaker, developer drops controversial FAR request and is approved. William Gottlieb Real Estate can now move forward with development of Studio Gang Architects’ “Solar Carve” Tower, a ten-story structure that will occupy 40-56 Tenth Avenue, the full block between West 13th and 14th streets in Manhattan. William Gottlieb originally sought additional floor area to offset prohibitive construction costs resulting from poor subsurface conditions … <Read More>