New mixed-use building okayed after size reduction

Variance will allow 11 new dwellings and ground floor commercial in a manufacturing zone. BSA approved a use variance, permitting a five-story residential development with ground floor commercial on an M1-1 zoned lot with unobstructed views of lower Manhattan at the corner of Columbia and Congress Streets in Brooklyn.

When the project site, two lots totaling 4,773 sq.ft., was purchased by the variance applicants, Isaac, Jacqueline, and Maurice Douek, it contained two vacant four -story … <Read More>


Ikea Development Approved; Sent to Council

Ikea to build a 346,000-square-foot waterfront store in Red Hook. The City Planning Commission approved an application by Ikea Property, Inc., for the development of a 346,000-square-foot furniture store and three ancillary buildings on a 22-acre site along the Red Hook, Brooklyn waterfront. The store, Ikea’s first in New York City, will be its largest store in the United States. The Commission also approved 70,000 sq.ft. of retail and restaurant space and a … <Read More>


Updated: “How Doomed is the Loop?”: Discussion on Remote Work Impact on City’s Financial Health

How “doomed” is New York City due to the prevalence of remote work and its impact on commercial real estate values? Experts discussed the city’s fiscal outlook during a recent panel discussion, “How Doomed is the Loop?,” hosted by the Center for New York City Law at New York Law School. The January 25th panel was moderated by Mark Willis, Senior Policy Fellow at the NYU Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy and <Read More>


City Council Votes to Approve the City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality Zoning Text Amendment

On December 6, 2023, the City Council voted to approve the City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality zoning text amendment. The amendment, the first of three proposed by the Adams administration last year, fixes outdated provisions within the zoning text that inhibit the growth and use of green infrastructure and technology in New York City. The zoning text, as is, could not accommodate many types of modern green infrastructure and technology, which did not exist <Read More>


Monsignor Kett Playground Reopens After $9.5 Million Renovation

On July 26, 2023, Parks Department Commissioner Sue Donoghue, NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Assembly Member Manny De Los Santos, Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, and Community Board 12 joined community members to cut the ribbon on the renovated Monsignor Kett Playground in Inwood, Manhattan. The project—which required $9.5 million in funding from the Mayor’s Office—is the largest reinvestment the City has made in this open space.


NYCHA Announces Heating Improvements Made as Heating Season Closes

NYCHA sustained performance improvements and furthered investments in heating infrastructure over recent heating season. On May 31, 2023, the New York City Housing Authority (Housing Authority) announced that it had continued to improve the performance of heat and hot water systems for its residents, while also making significant investments in heating infrastructure during the 2022-2023 heating season, which runs from October 1 to May 31.