Court rejects challenge to Chelsea homeless shelter

Group claimed shelter was not an as-of-right use and exceeded maximum number of beds. In 2010, the Bowery Residents’ Committee obtained a permit from Buildings to convert a twelve-story building at 127 West 25th Street into a private not-for-profit homeless shelter, drug treatment center, and offices. BRC planned to provide a 200-bed homeless shelter, a 96-bed reception center for the homeless, a 32-bed chemical dependency crisis center, and outpatient counseling services for up to 100 … <Read More>


BSA denies challenge to twelve-story homeless shelter

Community group argued that proposed homeless shelter did not qualify as a hotel under the zoning resolution. Buildings in 2010 issued the Bowery Residents’ Committee a permit to convert a twelve-story factory building at 127 West 25th Street in Chelsea to a homeless shelter and offices. BRC planned to create a 32-bed chemical dependency crisis center, a 96-bed reception center for the homeless, a 200-bed homeless shelter, and two outpatient counseling programs serving up

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Trump SoHo defeats new permit challenge

Community group argued developer improperly deducted elevator shafts on mechanical floor from floor area calculations. In May 2007, Buildings issued a building permit to the BayRock/Sapir Organization LLC to build a 42-story condominium hotel, known as Trump SoHo, at 246 Spring Street in Manhattan. The lot’s M1-6 zoning prohibited residential development. Therefore, Buildings’ approval required that the developer file a restrictive declaration prohibiting anyone from living in any of the building’s units for more than … <Read More>


Midtown garage approved for public parking

Accessory garage’s 1973-issued certificate of occupancy permitted transient parking as secondary use. On March 10, 2010, the City Planning Commission approved Central Parking Systems’ application for a special permit to convert an existing 213- space accessory parking garage at 159 West 48th Street in Manhattan into a 220-space public parking garage. Central Parking would also provide 23 bicycle parking spaces.

The garage occupies six floors and the roof of a seven-story building with ground floor … <Read More>


Developer wins right to complete Queens hotel

Developer claimed that reduction in hotel rooms due to rezoning would jeopardize franchise agreement. Developer HBC Corona LLC received a foundation permit on July 9, 2008 for its proposed seven-story, mixed-use development providing 100 transient hotel rooms and 63 hotel suites, located at 112-15 Northern Boulevard in Queens. Nearly nine months later the City Council approved the North Corona 2 rezoning plan, changing the site’s C2-4 (R6) zoning to C2-4 (R6A), and putting the proposed … <Read More>


37-space garage opposed by Borough Pres. and CB4

Opponents disputed developer’s claim that there was insufficient parking within the vicinity of the site. On January 21, 2009, the City Planning Commission heard testimony regarding 405 West 53rd Street Development Group LLC’s special permit application for a 37-space accessory parking garage within a seven-story mixed-use development in the Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen section of Manhattan. The garage would occupy portions of the cellar and ground floor of the development, which consists of approximately 83 owner-occupied units … <Read More>