
Rendering of one of the new proposed buildings. Image Credit: NYC CPC.
The buildings would provide residential, commercial, and industrial spaces. On May 11, 2022, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing for an application that would facilitate the development of two eight-story mixed use buildings that will offer residential, commercial, industrial and office spaces in Ravenswood, Queens. The rezoning area consists of the entire block bounded by 33rd Road to the north, 34th Avenue to the south, 11th Street to the west and 12th Street to the east. The two buildings take up a majority of space on the block, with the exclusion of a portion of the midblock facing 11th Street. The current block has a vacant lot and warehouses. (more…)

An example of the redistricting map from the 2012-2013 Districting Commission that outlines changes to district map boundaries. The new Commission will prepare the same ahead of the next Council elections in 2023. Image Credit: NYC Districting Commission.
The Commission will help with the redesign of the City Council district boundaries. On March 7, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced his seven appointees to the New York City Districting Commission. The Commission is responsible for redrawing council district boundaries as required every ten years by the City Charter following the national census. The redistricting helps the City Council reflect changes in demographics and population. (more…)

Image Credit: NYC DOT.
On February 3, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Hank Gutman as the new Commissioner of the Department of Transportation. With only eleven months left in the de Blasio Administration, Gutman has set ambitious goals. His past experiences make it likely that he will achieve his goals. (more…)

Houses along 222nd Street in the proposed Cambria Heights-222nd Street Historic District. Image Credit: Google Maps.
Both historic districts feature Tudor Revival row houses with whimsical features. On August 10, 2021, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to calendar two historic districts in Cambria Heights, Queens for future designation. The Cambria Heights-222nd Street Historic District and the Cambria Heights-227th Street Historic District are both well-preserved examples of the Tudor Revival and Storybook styles and of the 1930s suburban expansion in Queens. (more…)

Image Credit: NYC DOT
One year ago, in January 2020, the Expert Panel assigned by Mayor Bill de Blasio to study the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway issued its Final Report. Mayor de Blasio in 2019 appointed the seventeen-person Expert Panel* of which I was a member, following the angry rejection of New York City DOT’s plan for reconstructing the section of the BQE adjacent to Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo and Downtown Brooklyn. City DOT presented its plan publicly September 2019. The plan caused immediate outrage. (more…)