City Council Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Mayor’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Proposal

Hard-hitting questions from several Council members explored ways affordable housing could be provided at deeper levels of affordability.  On February 9, 2016, the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held a public hearing on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing proposal.  The hearing was held in the City Council Chambers in City Hall to accommodate the capacity audience.


Mayor Bill de Blasio Announces New Crane Safety Plan, Effective Immediately

New plan subjects crane operators to additional safety regulations and increased fines for non-compliance.  On February 7, 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a four-prong safety plan to be taken by large crane operators.  The new set of safety measures arose in response to a fatal crane collapse incident, which occurred on February 5, 2016 in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Manhattan.


Land Use Committee Approves New Two-Lot Wide Building on Controversial Site

Developers spent months engaging local representatives and neighborhood residents to garner their approval before formally initiating ULURP process.  On January 28, 2016, the City Council Land Use Committee unanimously approved an application to construct a mixed-use building at 146–150 Wooster Street, located in Manhattan’s landmarked SoHo Cast-Iron Historic District.  150 Wooster LLC, the project developer and subsidiary of KUB real estate investment and design firm, is the second owner to attempt to build a … <Read More>


Neighborhood Coalition Proposal is Most Comprehensive Zoning Plan Ever Submitted by a Community Group

The proposal would protect neighborhood aesthetics with height caps on new developments and provide additional benefits to affected communities.  On January 21, 2016, the Department of City Planning received a zoning proposal from the East River Fifties Alliance, a neighborhood coalition led by City Council members Ben Kallos and Daniel Garodnick, which is the most comprehensive residential re-zoning proposal to ever be submitted by a community group. The proposal seeks to safeguard the Upper East … <Read More>


Votes by Community Boards Running Strongly Against de Blasio Affordable Housing Proposals [UPDATED]

CityLand creates comprehensive chart tracking every vote taken by community boards citywide on the ZQA and MIH text amendments. On September 21, 2015, the City Planning Commission referred for public review the Zoning for Quality and Affordability (ZQA) and Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) citywide text amendments. Since the public review process has begun, community boards across the city have met to discuss and vote on each of the two proposals. All 59 New York City … <Read More>


Legislation Proposed For Online List of All Affordable Apartments

Bill would require all landlords of affordable apartments to publicly list their properties through the portal.  At the City Council stated meeting on Monday, December 7, 2015 Council Member Ben Kallos introduced Intro 1015, a proposed law that would require property owners that receive tax credits in exchange for building affordable housing units to publicly list those units in an online portal.  The bill is co-sponsored by Council Members Jumaane Williams and Rosie <Read More>