Addition to Tammany Hall Approved after Reduction in Size

Contemporary dome would sit atop restored neo-Georgian building facing Union Square. On March 10, 2015, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to approve the construction of an addition, as well as façade renovations, to the former Tammany Hall building at 44 Union Square East, an individual City landmark. Landmark first considered a proposal for the site in November of 2015.


Proposal for Former Sugar Refinery on Waterfront Divides Commission

Plan would replace existing, non-original, facade facing East River, with sculptural contemporary facade of glass and metal. The Landmarks Preservation Commission considered an application on February 3, 2015, for the renovation of an 1898 factory building at 10 Jay Street in the DUMBO Historic District. The building, originally built to process coffee, and later converted to a sugar refinery, was substantially altered in the 1940s, with approximately half the building demolished. The proposal … <Read More>


Mayor de Blasio Names Faith Rose as New Public Design Commission Chair

Appointee previously served as Director of the Design Excellence program. On October 7, 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Faith Rose to serve as Executive Director of the Public Design Commission. Ms. Rose, a licensed architect and partner at O’Neill Rose Architects, earned her Masters of Architecture from Yale University and comes to the Commission from the Department of Design and Construction. As Director of the Department’s Design Excellence program, Ms. Rose oversaw … <Read More>


The Williams: Single Room Occupancy Housing Rights in New York City

The City of New York experienced a massive influx of unmarried immigrants prior to World War II. For many of these men and women, hotel-style accommodations were more convenient and affordable than rental apartments. Such units generally did not include kitchens, but some included bathrooms. Many City newcomers preferred the old-world comforts of a communal kitchen.

For many New Yorkers without the physical or socio-economic resources necessary to maintain their own homes, single-room occupancy accommodations … <Read More>


Appellate Court Affirms Special Permit for Hospital for Special Surgery

Resident opponents failed to block City Planning’s approval of Hospital for Special Surgery expansion. The Hospital for Special Surgery (HHS), located at 535 East 70th Street, proposed a major renovation and expansion of its existing facility located between East 70th  Street and East 72nd Street, and between York Avenue and  the FDR Drive in Manhattan.

On December 26, 2006, the City Planning Commission (CPC) issued a positive declaration and Lead Agency Determination along with an … <Read More>


Union Square Restaurant Put on Hold by Judge [Update: Appellate Division Rules in Favor of Planned Restaurant]

See below for update.

Neighborhood coalition sued Parks over proposed plan to open restaurant in Union Square. Union Square is comprised of 3.6 acres of dedicated municipal parkland, stretching three blocks in length and one block in width. Union Square Park’s pavilion has hosted a myriad of political events and recreational activities for over a century. In 2004, the City announced its plans to open a restaurant in the pavilion. In April 2008, the Union <Read More>