“The Beach House” Fire House at 257 Beach 116 Street, Rockaway Park. Image credit: FDNY

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 Frank J. Helmie in the Colonial Revival style. After damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, the FDNY determined that the building was past its useful life as a firehouse. In 2013, the building received landmark status. (more…)

Rendering of the proposed redevelopment at 50 Nevins Street. Image credit: DCP

The City Planning Commission approved the expansion of a mental health treatment facility to include low-income affordable units for individuals and families. On July 26, 2017, the City Planning Commission issued a favorable report on an application for multiple land use actions to facilitate the enlargement and reconstruction of an existing eight-story building by integrating a 10-story horizontal expansion onto an abutting parking lot and three-story addition to the northern portion of the existing building. The applicants, the Institute for Community Living, proposed a zoning map and zoning text amendment at the site, located on the southwest corner of the intersection of Nevins Street and Schermerhorn Street in the Downtown Brooklyn neighborhood. (more…)

46 Broadway in SoHo. Image credit: GoogleMaps

The City Planning Commission approved an application for a large retail establishment, 28,634 square feet, in the lower floors of a building in SoHo neighborhood. On July 12, 2017, the City Planning Commission issued a favorable report on an application from 462BDWY LAND, L.P.—owner of 462 Broadway in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. The application sought a special permit to modify use regulations of Section 42-14(D)(2)(b) of the Zoning Resolution to allow retail uses on portions of the ground floor, cellar, and second and third floor of the existing six-story building. The applicant also sought a special permit to allow large retail establishments without limitation to floor are per an establishment. (more…)

The Graybar Building at 420 Lexington Avenue. Image Credit: LPC

Hearing were held on twelve buildings over two meetings, with vary degrees of opposition— Citicorp Center Complex will be voted on separately at a later date. On November 22, 2016, Landmarks voted to designate eleven buildings in the Midtown area as individual City landmarks. Public testimony on the buildings was considered at two meetings on July 19 and September 13 of 2016. Landmarks undertook the surveying of the area as part of a mayoral program to strengthen and revitalize East Midtown as a commercial core. The initiative is expected to entail zoning for greater density, improvements to public spaces and mass transit, and commitments to economic-growth plans.

Landmarks staff identified three periods of significant development in the area; the pre-Grand Central terminal era; the period of intense development following the construction of Grand Central and other transit improvements; and the modern, post-World War II era. (more…)

The Interborough Rapid Transit Powerhouse. Image credit: LPC

Wide support voiced for designation of monumental Stanford White-designed powerhouse and iconic Classicist department store, despite owner opposition. On November 5, 2015, Landmarks held the third of four special hearings to address the backlog of items calendared prior to 2010, but never brought to a vote on designation. Previous hearings were held on October 8 and 22, 2015. The November hearing was the first devoted to items in Manhattan.

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