Council Subcommittee Approves Hotel Building Conversion in DUMBO

The building conversion will bring 508 supportive and affordable residential units to DUMBO. On March 13, 2020, the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises approved an application to facilitate the conversion of a 29-story former hotel building at 90 Sands Street. The building would be converted into a mixed-use residential use and community facility building with a future possibility for commercial use. To facilitate the conversion, the applicant, Breaking Ground, is proposing to rezone … <Read More>



Council Subcommittee Approves Eight-Story Mixed-Use Building in Sunnyside

The new development would be located near the 7 line and many bus stops. On March 13, 2020, the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises approved an application to rezone part of 52nd Street in Sunnyside, Queens. The rezoning will affect the east side of 52nd Street, bounded by Roosevelt Avenue to the north and Queens Boulevard to the south. The street would be rezoned from a low-density residential zoning district that allows three-story … <Read More>


Developers Must Set Aside Affordable Retail Space in City-Funded Developments

The law will help provide more opportunities for small businesses to remain in the City. On February 23, 2020, Introduction 1408-B was enacted into Local Law 35 of 2020. Introduction 1408-B requires developers to set aside affordable retail space for non-chain retailers within large City-funded affordable housing developments. The requirement will apply to certain affordable housing developments of at least 750,000 square feet that receive $15 million or more in City funds. The law, sponsored … <Read More>


Landmarks Holds Public Hearing on Seven-Story Mixed-Use Development in Greenpoint

Landmarks agreed with local elected officials and residents that the proposed building was out of context for the Greenpoint Historic District. On February 11, 2020, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on a Certificate of Appropriateness to demolish an existing one-story brick building and construct a new seven-story mixed-use residential and commercial building at 171 Calyer Street, located within the Greenpoint Historic District in Brooklyn. The existing one-story building was a former supermarket … <Read More>


Public Hearing on Contested Industry City Expansion

Despite two years of discussion, Industry City ownership unable to convince Council Member Menchaca and Community Board 7 to support expansion. On February 19, 2020, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on an application for four land use actions to expand bulk and use requirements for Industry City, in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Industry City is a 5.3 million square feet mixed-use complex comprised of sixteen buildings with commercial, manufacturing, and community facility uses. … <Read More>