The City Planning Commission approved three new affordable housing projects; City Council schedules hearing. On February 1, 2017, the City Planning Commission adopted favorable reports for three Department of Housing Preservation and Development applications to dispose of city-owned properties in order to facilitate three new housing developments in Manhattan’s Harlem neighborhood. Each development will contain varying levels of affordability under HPD loan structures. The City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning has scheduled a public hearing on the Harlem developments for February 7, 2017. (more…)

The City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises hearing testimony from City Planning Chairman Carl Weisbrod, Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, and Commissioner Vicki Been (from left to right). Image credit: CityLand
Testimony was heard on a wide range of issues spanning from decreased parking requirements to increased building height limits. On February 10, 2016, the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held a public hearing on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Zoning for Quality and Affordability proposal. The hearing was held in the City Council Chambers in City Hall to accommodate the capacity audience.
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The City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises hearing testimony from City Planning Chairman Carl Weisbrod, Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, and Commissioner Vicki Been (from left to right). Image credit: CityLand
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.
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Rendering of 146-150 Wooster Street in Manhattan. Image Credit: KUB Capital.
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 new development in place of the existing and unused one-story garage. In the face of substantial community opposition, the previous site owner’s ULURP application was withdrawn before reaching the City Council.
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Conceptual rendering of the North site view of the New York Wheel and New York Harbor. Image credit: NYCEDC
The modifications would alter the parking garage, restaurant, and other amenities. On October 22, 2015, the City Council Committee on Land Use unanimously approved New York Wheel LLC’s application to modify the previously-approved special permit for the construction of the New York Wheel, located on the St. George Waterfront in Staten Island. The New York Wheel originally succeeded through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure process in 2013, but is now seeking approval for a redesigned parking garage and several other modifications.
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