Boundaries around landmarked building reduced to provide buffer for Whole Foods development. On January 24, 2012, Landmarks reduced the landmarked site boundaries of the New York and Long Island Coignet Stone Company Building at the corner of Third Avenue and 3rd Street near the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. The dilapidated Coignet Building was built in 1872 as a freestanding building, and is believed to the City’s first concrete structure. Landmarks designated the building in June 2006. 3 CityLand 110 (Aug. 15, 2006). The designation included the building’s entire tax lot.

Whole Foods, which owns the Coignet Building and the rest of the block, requested that Landmarks reduce the building’s landmarked site boundary from approximately 125 feet to 55 feet along Third Avenue and from 55 feet to 40 feet along 3rd Street. The (read more…)

Adolfo Carrión, Jr. hired architect for private job at same time architect worked on project that Carrión later recommended for approval. Hugo Subotovsky worked as an architect on a Bronx development project known as Boricua Village. Atlantic Development Group LLC was the developer, and Peter Fine, one of Atlantic’s principals, was part of the team seeking City approval for the project through the City’s land use review process. Subotovsky was also part of this team. During the approval process, then-Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, Jr. asked Fine, his friend, about hiring an architect for renovation work on his home. Fine suggested Carrión speak to Subotovsky, and Carrión later hired him to do the work. Carrión did not know of Subotovsky’s involvement in Boricua Village, but knew him as an architect that had worked on other projects that were submitted to the Bronx Borough President’s office for review.

Subotovsky performed the architectural work for Carrión, and the Department of Buildings issued the corresponding work permits on January 21, 2007. On or about January 22, 2007, the Boricua Village project was sent to Carrión’s office for review, and Carrión recommended its conditional approval. Carrión paid the builders after the initial work was completed, but Subotovsky did not issue a bill at this time. Subotovsky sent Carrión a bill about two years later, after the Daily News investigated the matter and after Carrión obtained a final survey.  (read more…)

1998 zoning amendment required contribution to theater fund for transfer of development rights from certain theaters. On October 19, 2011, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the City rules that would increase the contribution to the Theater Subdistrict Fund connected to the transfer of development rights from 46 listed theaters in Manhattan’s Theater Subdistrict. The proposal was published in the City Record on September 15, 2011.

The City in 1982 created the Theater Subdistrict to halt further demolitions of Midtown theaters. The Subdistrict comprises an area generally bounded by West 40th and West 57th Streets and Sixth and Eighth Avenues. The Subdistrict restricted the demolition of designated theaters and permitted theaters to transfer development rights to other parcels in the area. A set of amendments to the Subdistrict approved in 1998 created a mechanism that permitted certain theaters to transfer development rights on an as-of-right basis. A theater could transfer its development rights if it committed to operate as a legitimate theater and if a financial contribution was made to the Theater Subdistrict Fund. The fund is administered by the Theater Subdistrict Council, which was created in 2007 and allocates grants to promote the theater industry.

The City Planning Commission is required to review and adjust the contribution amount no more than once every three years and no less than once every five years. The adjustment reflects changes in the assessed values of properties within the Subdistrict. In 1998, the contribution amount was set at $10 per square foot of transferred floor area and increased to $14.91 in 2006.  (read more…)