City Announces Play Streets Initiative and Open Streets Changes

The Open Streets and the new Play Streets initiatives encourage New Yorkers to go outside. On July 24, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Play Streets, an initiative provided by the City, the Fresh Air Fund, Building Healthy Communities, and the Police Athletic League to provide children with fun, socially-distant outdoor activities on twelve Open Streets throughout the City. The Open Streets initiative provides more outdoor space for pedestrians and cyclists by limiting vehicular traffic … <Read More>


UPDATED: City to Implement Up to 100 Miles of Safe Streets

The plan will aim to add 100 miles of open streets, widened sidewalks and protected bike lanes. Note: This article has been updated to continuously reflect the added streets as those announcements are made. Please continue to check back for further updates.

On April 27, 2020, the Mayor’s Office announced a plan along with Council Speaker Corey Johnson to implement street closures, sidewalk widening, and the addition of bike lanes as part of the City’s <Read More>


City Planning Wrapping Up Brownfield Recommendations in Flushing

City Planning presented to community board draft findings and recommendations for brownfield improvements in Queen’s Flushing neighborhood. In 2011, under the New York State Brownfield Opportunity Area Program, the Flushing-Willets Point-Corona Local Development Corporation received a $1.5 million state grant to plan for the clean-up and rezoning of the Flushing waterfront. The Program was created to transform brownfields—vacant or underutilized properties—from liabilities to community assets. This is the second phase of the Brownfield Opportunity Area … <Read More>


Owner-Initiated Rezoning Faces Community Board Opposition at City Planning

Commercial and residential rezoning of entire block favored by half of block’s property owners in area zoned for manufacturing. Five property owners came together to apply for the rezoning of a block in Flushing, Queens. The block is bounded by Avery Avenue to the north, College Point Boulevard to the east, Fowler Avenue to the south and 131st Street to the west. The application requests a rezoning from M1-1 and M1-2 to C2-6A to facilitate … <Read More>