Mayor de Blasio Appoints Tom Foley as Acting DDC Commissioner

Foley is a 23-year veteran of the agency. On October 28, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Tom Foley as the Acting Commissioner for the Department of Design and Construction (DDC). The appointment comes as Commissioner Jamie Torres-Springer, who had been appointed in March, prepares to depart on November 12th to become the President of Construction and Development at the MTA. 


VIRTUAL EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: 175th CityLaw Breakfast featuring Georgia Pestana, New York City Corporation Counsel – 11/12 at 9 AM

Dean Anthony W. Crowell and

 Professor Ross Sandler, Director 

cordially invite you to the 175th CityLaw Breakfast

Featuring Speaker

Georgia Pestana, New York City Corporation Counsel

Speaking On:

“Practicing Law During the Pandemic: Crisis, Challenges & Opportunities” 

Date: Friday, November 12, 2021

Even though the Center for New York City Law is unable to host our CityLaw Breakfast series in person at New York Law School this fall due to COVID-19, we will continue to … <Read More>


COMPLETE VIDEO: 174th CityLaw Breakfast featuring Hank Gutman, Commissioner of the Department of Transportation

Today, October 29, 2021, Department of Transportation Commissioner Hank Gutman spoke at the 174th CityLaw Breakfast. Commissioner Gutman spoke on “Reimagining How Freight Moves in New York City.” Professor Ross Sandler, Director of the Center for New York City Law provided opening remarks. This Breakfast was sponsored by ConEdison, Greenberg Traurig, and Verizon. This was the eighth virtual CityLaw Breakfast as in-person events are not feasible at this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


City Planning Holds Public Hearing for Permanent Open Restaurants Program, Launches Design Public Engagement Process

Many residents and community board members complained of quality of life issues, including noise, trash, cigarette smoke, and loss of parking. On October 6, 2021, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing for the Permanent Open Restaurants program. The Permanent Open Restaurants program will formalize a process for restaurants to operate sidewalk or roadway cafes in a shortened process. The proposed permanent program follows the popularity of the temporary open restaurants program, which was … <Read More>


Community Boards Share Many Concerns Over Permanent Open Restaurant Program

Community boards in support and against the application had concerns about quality of life issues and community board involvement in future reviews. Last year’s Open Restaurants program was established to allow restaurants to operate sidewalk or roadway cafes without the extensive approval process to provide safe outdoor dining options during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the program was enabled through an emergency executive order that temporarily suspended the sidewalk café application process, a permanent program would … <Read More>


Sidewalk cafe permit denied

Owner of West 23rd Street restaurant sought to extend seating outside. In May 2018, Maxver LLC applied to the City Department of Consumer Affairs for consent to open an unenclosed sidewalk café outside of Calle Dao Chelsea, the Cuban-Chinese fusion restaurant that Maxver operates on Manhattan’s West 23rd Street. The application called for four tables, each seating two people. Consumer Affairs forwarded the application to Community Board No. 4, which, after a public hearing, unanimously … <Read More>