City Council Approves Major Bay Street Corridor Plan with Modifications

Before reaching the City Council, the project received mixed support over concerns that the area was ill-equipped for the increased density. On June 26, 2019, City Council voted to approve with modifications an application that would help implement a major City-initiated plan to redevelop Staten Island’s Bay Street Corridor, which connects the St. George, Tompkinsville, and Stapleton neighborhoods. The comprehensive plan will redevelop the Bay Street Corridor into a walkable, transit-oriented community that provides … <Read More>


W Hotel cited for grease traps violation

The W New York ordered to install 19 new grease traps. On November 3, 2016, a Department of Environmental Protection officer found that the grease interceptors at the W Hotel at 541 Lexington Ave., Manhattan did not conform to DEP’s standards. The inspector directed the hotel owner to install and maintain properly-sized grease interceptors in seventeen designated locations on the first and second floor at the hotel. On March 1, 2017, a DEP officer … <Read More>


City Council Approves Downtown Far Rockaway Rezoning

City Council approved a 22-block rezoning of Downtown Far Rockaway, Queens. On September 7, 2017, the City Council approved a large-scale rezoning and development plan for Downtown Far Rockaway by a vote of 46-0. The resolutions will create a Special Downtown Far Rockaway district, a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing area, and an Urban Renewal Area. $288 million has been secured to grant amenities this community has been requesting for over 40 years.


Willets Point Proposal Heard at City Planning Commission

23-acre proposal will include environmental cleanup, expressway ramps, affordable housing, and retail and entertainment complex. The City Planning Commission held a public hearing on land use actions to facilitate Phase 1 of the Willets Point Development Project on July 10, 2013. The application was submitted by the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Queens Development Group, LLC, a joint venture of Sterling Equities and Related Companies. Phase 1, to be split into … <Read More>


Kate Ascher on Our Urban Environment

Kate Ascher, head of Happold Consulting’s U.S. practice, has perhaps become better known for her popular books on how cities work. Ascher received her masters and doctorate degrees from the London School of Economics, where she focused on the interface between the public and private sectors. She previously worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the City’s Economic Development Corporation, and Vornado Realty Trust. Currently, Ascher teaches at Columbia University’s Graduate … <Read More>


Alternative fueling station for Hunts Point approved

Proposed alternative fueling station in Hunts Point. Image: Courtesy of Atlantis Management Group WXY Architecture.

Public facility within Hunts Point Food Distribution Center would provide alternative fuel pumps and maintenance bays to retrofit and convert conventional fuel engines. On November 30, 2011, the City Planning Commission approved the Department of Citywide Administrative Services and the Department of Small Business Services’ proposal to allow the Atlantis Management Group to redevelop a City-owned lot within the Hunts <Read More>