Regal Hotels chain appealed a determination that it owed transfer taxes in connection with its UN Plaza Hotel deal. In 1997 the City, the United Nations Development Corporation, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation put out a bid for proposals to purchase and operate the United Nations Plaza Hotel, currently the Millennium UN Plaza Hotel, situated within two adjacent buildings. The 39-story first tower, known as One UN Plaza and located at 787 … <Read More>
Court Decisions
Sushi Samba fined $500 K for illegal roof structure
- Sushi Samba on Seventh Avenue South in the West Village shown with its new second story addition. Photo:Morgan Kunz.
Illegal roof space used for 5 years while case was pending. After receiving a Landmarks permit in 2000 to add a decorative wooden trellis to its roof garden, owners of Sushi Samba, a Greenwich Village restaurant made popular by Sex & The City, instead built a steel-reinforced trellis that it covered in canvas roofing, making its … <Read More>
Cemetery wins bridge easement over Parkway
City wanted to demolish bridges connecting both sides of Cypress Hills Cemetery. In the 1930s, under Robert Moses’ urging, the City obtained land from Cypress Hills Cemetery through eminent domain to build the Interboro Parkway, now renamed the Jackie Robinson Parkway. The City also built two bridges to allow passage between the cemetery parcels that had been divided by the Parkway.
repair the bridges, but noted that it was not legally responsible for any repairs … <Read More>
Street furniture franchise challenge rebuffed
Losing bidders challenged DOT’s selection of Spanish-based outdoor advertising franchisee. In May 2006, the City approved a 20-year franchise to Cemusa, Inc. to construct and maintain citywide street furniture, including bus shelters, news racks and pay toilets, on which Cemusa would be permitted to sell advertising space. Approval by the City’s Franchise and Concession Review Committee came after a DOT-initiated request for proposals, a DOT-review and award process, and a public hearing. 3 CityLand 129 … <Read More>
One-time party wall must come down
Support wall became ivied backdrop for lavish garden. In 1867, developers built two adjacent Sutton Place buildings, 441 East 57th Street and 447 East 57th Street, with a shared support wall and entered into a party wall agreement. In the 1910s or 1920s, the owners of 447 East 57th Street demolished their three-story building and, years later, a garden for a neighboring coop replaced the site where the building once stood.
The party wall remained … <Read More>
Council overturned on refusal to remove use restriction
Brooklyn developer still cannot build housing. Middleland Inc. sought to rezone three lots on DeKalb Avenue and Spencer Street in Brooklyn and remove a 1975 restriction recorded on the site that limited its use to accessory parking for an adjacent IBM plant, closed since 1993 and now occupied by a Home Depot. Middleland planned to construct housing on its site.
Despite the Planning Commission’s approval, the City Council rejected both of Middleland’s requests, citing the … <Read More>