logo CityLand
      • Home
      • About CityLand
      • CityLand Sponsors
      • Filings & Decisions
      • Commentary
      • Archive
      • Resources
      • CityLaw
      • Current Issue

    A Better Path for East Midtown

    Cover Article  •  By: John West and Michael Gruen

    One Vanderbilt. Image credit: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC

    Early in January 2017 the City of New York began the official public approval process for a proposal to rezone East Midtown Manhattan. The proposal was based in part on a report by the East Midtown Steering Committee co-chaired by the Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and the District 4 Council Member Daniel Garodnick.

    The new 2017 proposal is the third proposal for rezoning East Midtown. In 2013 the Bloomberg Administration proposed to rezone East Midtown, but was forced by opposition to withdraw the proposal.  In 2015 the City rezoned the limited area along the Vanderbilt Corridor adjacent to Grand Central Terminal.  Both the current 2017 proposal and the 2015 adopted Vanderbilt Corridor rezoning are an improvement over the Bloomberg Administration’s withdrawn proposal; a developer cannot just write a check to receive bonus floor area, but must build an improvement to the public realm.  Still, both the new proposal and the Vanderbilt Corridor rezoning represent “zoning-for-dollars,” and take zoning in a wrong direction.  How might we do better? (read more…)

    Tags : East Midtown, Grand Central Terminal, One Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt Corridor
    Date:06/19/2017
    Category : CityLaw
    (1) Comment

    Garodnick Addresses Phase Two of East Midtown Rezoning

    East Midtown Rezoning  •  New York Law School
    Councilmember Daniel Garodnick delivers the keynote address of the East Midtown Rezoning panel. Image credit: Manhattan Chamber of Commerce

    Councilmember Daniel Garodnick delivers the keynote address of the East Midtown Rezoning panel. Image credit: Manhattan Chamber of Commerce

    The Councilmember spoke to early details of what’s next after the Vanderbilt Corridor.  On July 16, 2015 City Councilmember Daniel Garodnick delivered the keynote address at the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce’s panel discussion on the East Midtown Rezoning.  (See CityLand’s complete video of the event here.)

    (read more…)

    Tags : Council Member Daniel Garodnick, East Midtown rezoning, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Vanderbilt Corridor
    Date:07/22/2015
    Category : City Council
    Leave a Comment

    Zoning Subcommittee Approves One Vanderbilt Project, With Modifications

    Zoning Map/Text Amendment  •  East Midtown, Manhattan
    Architect's rendering of One Vanderbilt Place and Grand Central Terminal. Image credit: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

    Architect’s rendering of One Vanderbilt Place and Grand Central Terminal. Image credit: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

    Proposal returns to City Planning with additional infrastructure improvements.  On May 5, 2015 the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises voted to modify and approve the proposed One Vanderbilt skyscraper project and Vanderbilt Corridor rezoning plan.  (See previous CityLand coverage here.) The proposal as approved now includes a second transit hall on 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue, as well as a 22 percent increase in the below-grade pedestrian space. The below-grade increase allows for direct transfer between subway riders and the future East Side Access extension of the Long Island Railroad without having to go up through Grand Central’s main concourse first. The modifications amount to an extra $10 million in infrastructure improvements, increasing developer SL Green’s total investment cost to $220 million after earlier modifications by the City Planning Commission.

    (read more…)

    Tags : Council Member Daniel Garodnick, Council Member Mark Weprin, One Vanderbilt, SL Green, Vanderbilt Corridor, Zoning and Franchises Subcommittee
    Date:05/12/2015
    Category : City Council
    Leave a Comment

    Council Subcommittee Hears Testimony on One Vanderbilt

    Zoning Text/Map Amendment  •  East Midtown, Manhattan
    Councilmember Dan Garodnick led the questioning on the One Vanderbilt proposal. Image credit: William Alatriste / New York City Council

    Councilmember Dan Garodnick led the questioning on the One Vanderbilt proposal. Image credit: William Alatriste / New York City Council

    Representatives of the project and the Department of City Planning spoke during a four-hour hearing.  On April 13, 2015 the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held a public hearing on One Vanderbilt, a proposed 1,450-foot commercial tower in East Midtown, as well as an accompanying proposal to rezone five blocks of Vanderbilt Avenue to create the Vanderbilt Corridor.  The building will be located adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, bounded by East 42nd Street to the south, East 43rd Street to the north, Madison Avenue to the west, and Vanderbilt Avenue to the east.  The rezoning intends to facilitate commercial development on the west side of Vanderbilt Avenue between East 42nd and East 47th Streets, and designate Vanderbilt Avenue between East 42nd and East 43rd Streets as a public pedestrian space.  As a part of the overall proposal, project applicant SL Green will invest $210 million in transit and infrastructure improvements to Grand Central.

    (read more…)

    Tags : Council Member Daniel Garodnick, Council Member David G. Greenfield, Council Member Mark Weprin, East Midtown, James Von Klemperer, Kohn Pederson Fox, Mark Holliday, One Vanderbilt, SL Green, Vanderbilt Corridor, Zoning & Franchises Subcommittee
    Date:04/20/2015
    Category : City Council
    Leave a Comment

    City Planning Approves One Vanderbilt Project With Modifications

    Zoning Text/Map Amendment  •  East Midtown, Manhattan
    Architect's rendering of One Vanderbilt Place and Grand Central Terminal. Image credit: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

    Architect’s rendering of One Vanderbilt Place and Grand Central Terminal. Image credit: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

    The application seeks to rezone five blocks along Vanderbilt Avenue to permit construction of a new commercial tower.  On March 30, 2015 the City Planning Commission approved SL Green’s proposal to build One Vanderbilt, a 1,450-foot commercial tower, and establish the five-block Vanderbilt Corridor.  The building will be located on the block adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, bounded by East 42nd Street to the south, East 43rd Street to the north, Madison Avenue to the west, and Vanderbilt Avenue to the east.  The rezoning will affect the west side of Vanderbilt Avenue between East 42nd and East 47th Streets to facilitate commercial development and designate Vanderbilt Avenue between East 42nd and East 43rd Streets as a public place for pedestrian use.  As a part of the rezoning and construction proposal, SL Green will invest $210 million in transit and infrastructure improvements to Grand Central.

    (read more…)

    Tags : City Planning Commission, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Manhattan Community Board 5, Manhattan Community Board 6, One Vanderbilt, SL Green, Vanderbilt Corridor
    Date:04/08/2015
    Category : City Planning Commission
    Leave a Comment

    Subscribe To Free Alerts


    Follow Us on Social Media

    twitterfacebook

    Search

    Search by Category

      City Council
      CityLaw
      City Planning Commission
      Board of Standards & Appeals
      Landmarks Preservation Commission
      Economic Development Corporation
      Housing Preservation & Development
      Administrative Decisions
      Court Decisions
      Filings and Decisions
      CityLand Profiles

    Search by Date

    © 1997-2010 New York Law School | 185 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013 | 212.431.2100 | Privacy | Terms | Code of Conduct | DMCA | Policies
     

    Loading Comments...