Mayor Bill de Blasio. Image credit: CityLand
On November 22, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the creation of a new pilot program to design and construct projects utilizing the NYC Climate Resiliency Design guidelines. The guidelines provide technical guidance for engineers and architects in the design of buildings, roads, sewer systems, public housing, and other forms of public infrastructure to anticipate worsening impacts from climate change including flooding, storm surge and intense heat. (more…)
Image Credit: NYC DOT
The plan focuses on immediate monitoring and repairs to allow for more time to plan for the future. On August 4, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Hank Gutman announced a plan to extend the life of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) cantilever for at least 20 years with additional plans for the long-term. The plan is in four parts: preserving the structure; maintenance; expansion in monitoring; and developing a long-term vision. (more…)
Revisions would see delegation of some work, including certain rear yard and roof top additions, to staff for review and approval. On March 27, 2018, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on a proposed overhaul of the agency’s rules, found in Title 63 of the Rules of the City of New York. The proposed amendments were published in the City Record on January 30, 2018. Landmarks has made a PowerPoint presentation available online. (more…)
Image credit: LPC
Commissioners allowed demolition to proceed, but mandated that any material that can be retained or salvaged must be preserved. On July 12, 2017, Landmarks decided on application filed by the owners of the Beth Hamerdash Hagodol Synagogue, an individual City landmark, at 60 Norfolk Street on the Lower East Side. The building was severely damaged by a fire in May of 2017, believed to have been set by a teenage arsonist who gained access to the building. The building’s roof collapsed in the fire, the interior was gutted, and that which was left standing sustained severe structural damage. The Synagogue sought a certificate of appropriateness to clear away rubble and take down the portions in danger of imminent collapse, then to remove what material remained, as those fragments would retain no architectural significance or integrity. (more…)
Google Street View of 434 Vanderbilt Avenue
“White knight” owner stepped in to rehabilitate 1866 townhouse after building fell into disrepair. On June 5, 2012, Landmarks approved a proposal to dismantle and reconstruct the deteriorating facade of an 1866 Second-Empire building at 434 Vanderbilt Avenue in the Fort Greene Historic District. In addition to rebuilding the front facade, the proposal included plans to build a rear metal deck on top of an existing one-story extension. The owner also plans to replace the windows on the rear facade with glass entry doors to the deck. The work at the rear would be partially visible from street vantages.
According to Landmarks staff member Joshua Speakman, prior to 2006 a former owner performed illegal work on the home, which included replacing the roof, windows, and historic dormers. Subsequent owners took steps to repair and stabilize the dilapidated structure, which included installing temporary steel (more…)
