On October 17, 2022, the New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) held an online information session to discuss Mayor Eric Adams’ “City of Yes” initiatives. The “City of Yes” was first announced back in June and focuses on three key areas of reform: Carbon Neutrality, Economic Opportunity, and Housing Opportunity. The amendments highlight the mayor’s desire to move away from “Not in My Backyard,” or “NIMBY” policies that restrict the development … <Read More>
City Council Passes “Halletts North” Housing Project
On September 29, 2022, the City Council approved a rezoning for the Halletts North development in Astoria, Queens. The mixed-use development, located at the intersection of 27th Avenue and 3rd Street, consists of three towers with 46,509 square feet of waterfront public access area along the East River. The development will be 986,000 square feet total, with 962,800 square feet of residential space, 1800 square feet of commercial space, and a 21,500 square … <Read More>
LPC Holds Public Hearing for Melrose Parkside Historic District
The “Kinko” duplex houses are a unique product of Brooklyn featuring vertically stacked two-story apartments. On October 18, 2022, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing for the proposed Melrose Parkside Historic District in the Prospect Lefferts Gardens neighborhood in Brooklyn. The proposed historic district would consist of 38 houses along both sides of Parkside Avenue between Flatbush Avenue and Bedford Avenue. It includes the properties from 357 to 413 Parkside Avenue on the … <Read More>
Mayor Launches Citywide Hubs for Delivery Workers
Through federal grant funding, the City will turn underused existing infrastructure into hubs for food deliveristas. On October 3, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a first-of-its-kind hub program for NYC’s 65,000 food delivery workers. The “Street Deliveristas Hubs” program will create safe places for delivery workers to seek shelter from the elements and charge both their electric bicycles and cell phones.
Parks Department to Build Playgrounds, Open Space at Six NYCHA Developments
The Mayor’s office has invested $23 million across three acres of NYCHA open space. On September 14, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams, the Parks Department, and the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) announced a pilot program to invest in nearly three acres of NYCHA open spaces, including playgrounds, across six housing developments. Three of these developments are located in Queens, two in the Bronx, and one in Brooklyn.
Milestone Reached in City’s Zombie Home Initiative
On September 30, 2022, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York City Law Department announced that the City’s Zombie Homes Initiative reached a significant milestone: the Initiative has officially recouped over $1 million in penalties from mortgage holders of vacant properties who failed to comply with New York State’s Zombie Property and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2016, commonly referred to as the “Zombie Law.”