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>


Landmarks Calendars Six LGBT Historic Sites for Consideration

The six buildings are up for consideration in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. On May 14, 2019, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a calendaring hearing for five buildings in Manhattan and one building in Staten Island to consider for future designation. The six sites – the Gay Activists Alliance Firehouse, Women’s Liberation Center, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, the Caffe Cino, the James Baldwin Residence and the … <Read More>


City Council Subcommittee Considering Three Building Complex on Edgewater Street

Zoning Subcommittee heard testimony on proposed 371-unit complex on Staten Island. On May 30, 2017, the City Council’s Zoning Subcommittee heard testimony regarding an application submitted by Pier 21 Development, LLC, to construct a mixed-use development with 371 residential units in three buildings in Staten Islands’ Rosebank neighborhood. The applicant sought to rezone the development site from manufacturing to residential with a commercial overlay and to expand the Special Stapleton Waterfront District to cover the … <Read More>


James S. Oddo: New Borough President Ready to Work Hard and Deliver Results

James S. Oddo, republican and former Council Member was sworn in as Staten Island’s new Borough President on January 1, 2014.

Borough President Oddo was born and raised in Dongan Hills, Staten Island, and bought his first house only a few blocks away from where he grew up. As the youngest of four boys, Oddo values the sacrifices his parents made. Oddo watched his father, a motorman, leave early and get home late to … <Read More>


Landmarks Research Director Mary Beth Betts on her Career, the Commission, and the Fabric of the City

New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission Director of Research Mary Beth Betts supervises a staff of 12 that is responsible for the research and writing of designation reports, the review of requests for evaluation submitted to the Commission, and the conduct of surveys to identify buildings or districts worthy of designation. She is also involved in the environmental review process for major City projects, the identification of significant historic resources, and helps to educate the … <Read More>


HDC Identifies Six Preservation Priorities for 2013

Advocacy group selects areas in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island as meriting preservation attention in 2013. The Historic Districts Council announced its “Six to Celebrate” list of preservation priorities on January 3, 2013. The areas identified by HDC consist of the Bronx Parks System, Manhattan’s East Village/Lower East Side and Tribeca neighborhoods, Brooklyn’s Greenpoint and Sunset Park neighborhoods, and Harrison Street in Staten Island.

The six areas were chosen from applications … <Read More>