DOB’S New Interactive Map Shows 8,000 Construction Sites that Require Safety Training

The map is part of Department of Buildings’ effort to ensure that workers are aware of required Site Safety Training on large-scale projects. On June 27, 2019, the Department of Buildings announced the release of a new interactive map on its website, showing the location of City construction sites where workers and site supervisors must conduct safety training pursuant to Local Law 196 of 2017. The law requires training for workers at large-scale construction projects, … <Read More>


Mayor Appoints Gregory Russ as New NYCHA Chair

Russ has worked with municipal housing authorities across the country, including in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis. On June 18, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced Gregory Russ as the new Chair of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). The national search for a new chair began in January after an agreement was made between NYCHA, HUD and the Southern District … <Read More>


Governor Cuomo Signs Sweeping Rent Control and Rent Stabilization Reforms into Law

The law places limits on various mechanisms through which landlords of rent-regulated units can raise rent and provides many other protections for tenants. On June 14, 2019, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed into law the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which Cuomo called “the most sweeping, aggressive protections in state history.” The legislation extends and strengthens rent protections for tenants across the state and went into effect before the expiration of the … <Read More>


Landmarks Designates the National Society of Colonial Dames in New York Headquarters as Individual Landmark

Although the original landmarking proposal also included an application to designate the Headquarter’s interiors, the Colonial Dames Society withdrew their support for that application. On June 11, 2019, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the Headquarters of the National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York as an individual landmark. The four-story Headquarters building is located at 215 East 71st Street in Manhattan, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. … <Read More>


HPD, NYSHCR, Private Developers and Others Announce Opening of New 135-Unit Affordable Kingsbridge Heights Development

The newly-constructed $70.5 million housing project is affordable, energy efficient, and provides housing and supportive services to formerly homeless families. On May 22, 2019, the New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas, Deputy Mayor for Housing Vicki Been, Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Louise Carroll, B&B Urban, L+M Development Partners and the Center for Urban Community Services announced the opening of a newly-constructed affordable housing development, Kingsbridge Heights Apartments<Read More>


Billboard Law Challenge Fails

Advertising companies sought to erect outdoor billboards in the Willets Point neighborhood. Mucho Media and other property owners in Queens’ Willets Point neighborhood sought to construct large advertising billboards on their property. For safety and aesthetic reasons, the City denied or ordered the removal of billboards in the Willets Point neighborhood. These actions were pursuant to the City’s zoning law that prohibits commercial billboards within two hundred feet of an arterial highway.