Rendering of the proposed new building at 250 Water Street, which will replace a parking lot. Image Credit: NYC LPC

Zoning is under attack in New York City. Not here or there, in this location or that, but the concept itself. This has been the long game of the city’s real estate interests, and after a decade of raids those interests have launched a full assault on several fronts. The historic city should expect no quarter. (read more…)

Rendering of the two proposed buildings, a hotel (white building on the left) and a residential building (orange and brown building on the right). Image Credit: NYC CPC

The proposed hotel would be located near several cultural, academic and medical institutions within the Bronx. On March 3, 2021, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing for an application to build a hotel and a residential building on East 188th Street between Arthur Avenue and Hughes Avenue. Currently, the site consists of low-density residential and commercial buildings and a funeral home; none of the residential units are currently rent stabilized, and the commercial tenants are being assisted in relocating.  (read more…)

Rendering of the proposed new office building at 5802-5806 16th Avenue, Brooklyn. Image Credit: NYC CPC

The building will house the company’s administrative functions. On December 2, 2020, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing for an application from Chartwell Pharmaceuticals to build a new office building at 5802 – 5806 16th Avenue in Borough Park, Brooklyn. The application would rezone a residential district to a commercial district to facilitate the construction of a five-story office building. There are currently three mixed-use buildings whose current tenants have already agreed to vacate. (read more…)

Even though the Supreme Court struck down race-based land use controls over a hundred years ago in Buchanan v. Warley, 245 U.S. 60 (1917) it has long been known that zoning continues to create or increase racial and economic segregation. Today communities across the U.S. are reexamining their zoning regulations to create more equal, equitable, inclusive, and resilient communities by removing requirements, limitations, or prohibitions that disproportionately and negatively impact individuals based on race or class. (read more…)

Rendering of 803 Rockaway Avenue, as seen from Newport Avenue. Image Credit: NYC CPC/Youtube

The project is a partnership between a mental health and housing non-profit and a manufacturing real estate non-profit. On October 7, 2020, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing for a mixed use-manufacturing and affordable housing development at 803 Rockaway Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The rezoning area covers nine lots on the block bounded by Riverdale Avenue to the north, Newport Avenue to the south, Rockaway Avenue to the west and Thatford Avenue to the east. The applicants of the project are the Bridge, a non-profit offering supportive housing and services for individuals with behavioral health needs, and the Greenpoint Manufacturing Design Center, a real estate non-profit developer of multi-tenant manufacturing buildings. The two applicants aim to build a mixed-use building that contains both manufacturing and residential spaces. The site is owned by the Bridge and currently features an old warehouse. (read more…)

Map from the Envision SoHo-NoHo Report. Image Credit; Envision SoHo/NoHo/ NYC Planning

On October 7, 2020, Mayor de Blasio announced that the SoHo/NoHo Neighborhood Plan will advance to the City’s public land use review process. The purpose of the Neighborhood Plan is to expand housing opportunities for New Yorkers, support cultural and economic success in the area, and reduce regulatory burdens on residents and workers in the area. (read more…)