Council Member Juamaane Williams outside Jackie Robinson Tilden Avenue home. Photo Credit: Keith Dawson/NYC Council.

Council Member seeks full Council support and support of online petition.  On April 29, 2014, City Council Member Jumaane Williams of Brooklyn introduced Resolution 209 calling upon the Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate 5224 Tilden Avenue in Brooklyn an individual city landmark.   The two story residence served as the home to Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers. (read more…)

LPC approved rendering of the proposed development at 688 Broadway in the NoHo Historic District. Image Credit: BKSK Architects

New NoHo mixed-use development faced continued opposition from neighboring Silk Building residents during Council public hearing.On March 18, 2014, the City Council Land Use Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held a public a hearing for a special permit application by Downtown Re Holdings LLC to build a mixed-use development located at 688 Broadway in the NoHo Historic District. The twelve-story, fourteen-unit building with non-eating and drinking ground floor retail is proposed to be built on the site of an 8,998 sq. ft. parking lot that is currently occupied by a flea market. The special permit will allow ground floor retail and residential uses, which are not permitted by the existing manufacturing zoning, as well as a waiver of setback requirements. The City Planning Commission unanimously voted 11-0 on February 19, 2014 to approve the application. (See CityLand coverage here). The Landmarks Preservation Commission issued a Certificate of Appropriatenesson November 28, 2012. (read more…)

Crave Fishbar, located at 945 Second Ave. in Manhattan. Image courtesy of Crave Fishbar.

Land Use Committee approved zoning text amendment needed to allow restaurant to occupy the second floor of a mixed-use building. On February 13, 2014, the City Council’s Committee on Land Use unanimously approved 17-0 an application filed by 945 Realty Holdings, LLC to modify Section 32-421 of the Zoning Resolution to facilitate the placement of 1,280 sq. ft. of commercial restaurant use on the second story of a four-story building. The restaurant, Crave Fishbar, is located at 945 Second Avenue in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan.  The building is a 40-ft. tall, four-story mixed-use building, of which the first floor is currently occupied by Crave Fishbar and the second floor is vacant. Crave Fishbar was previously located across the street from its current location until March 2008, when its building was damaged by a construction crane that collapsed on the building. The building has since been demolished. (read more…)

Rendering of 300 Lafayette Street Development. Image Credit: COOKFOX Architects.

New Land Use Committee unanimously approved a pre-considered application in its first meeting of the year. On January 30, 2014, the City Council Land Use Committee swiftly voted 20-0 to approve the development of a new seven-story commercial building in a lot currently occupied by a BP gas station in SoHo, Manhattan. The applicants, Paco Lafayette LLC, applied for a zoning text amendment and special permits to construct a new seven-story commercial building at 300 Lafayette Street, located at the southwest corner of Lafayette Street and East Houston Street. The proposed building would have approximately 60,000 sq. ft. of floor area. The ground floor, the second floor, and the cellar would contain Use Group 6 and/or Use Group 10A retail space. A portion of the second floor along with the third through seventh floors would be developed into commercial office space. Should the full Council approve the plan, the new development will not include any residential, Joint Living Work Quarters for Artist units or community facility space. (read more…)

Rendering of entrance to Seaside Park & Community Arts Center theater. Image courtesy of: GKV Architects.

Former Childs Restaurant to be transformed into outdoor amphitheater, park, and restaurant. On December 19, 2013, the City Council approved the Seaside Park and Community Arts Center project in a vote of 50-1 with modifications, and referred the proposal back to the City Planning Commission for final action.  The New York City Economic Development Corporation and iStar Financial subsidiary Coney Island Holdings LLC will execute a $58 million plan to build an outdoor amphitheater and park along the boardwalk near West 21st Street and restore and reopen the landmarked Childs Restaurant as an eatery and catering facility (See past CityLand  coverage here). (read more…)

NYU superblock development as originally proposed. Image credit: NYU.

State Supreme Court declares project sites to be dedicated park land; enjoins construction. On July 25, 2012, New York City Council voted to approve the NYU Expansion project (See previous CityLand coverage here). Petitioners, including State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick and more than 20 other individuals and organizations that reside or are located in the vicinity of the NYU Expansion, filed an article 78 petition challenging Council’s approval. In a 77-page opinion, State Supreme Court Justice Donna M. Mills on January 7, 2014 ruled in favor of the petitioners on their claim that the approval violated the public trust doctrine. (read more…)