Permit grandfathered over community’s objections

Community claims developer poured foundation after effective date of rezoning. On June 7, 2005, BSA granted a permit extension, allowing work to continue on the development of a single-family home located at 102 Greaves Avenue in Great Kills, Staten Island that did not comply with the zoning requirements set by a Staten Island 2004 down-zoning. 1 CityLand 4 (Oct. 15, 2004). Work on the single-family home was required to stop on August 12, 2004, and … <Read More>


Munitions warehouse to be residential complex

Variance will permit 43-unit luxury apartment complex. Ira Weinstein, the owner of 2184 Mill Avenue, a 99,340-square-foot lot located on the northwest side of Strickland Avenue in an R3-1 district of Mill Basin, Brooklyn, sought a variance to convert a four-story, 100-year old munitions factory, currently used as a warehouse and retail showroom, into a five-story, 67,000-square-foot multiple dwelling with 45 luxury residential units, doctors’ offices, and a ground-floor restaurant.

Weinstein argued that commercial and … <Read More>


Core Club approved for East 55th

Upscale social club to occupy five floors of new 41-story residential building. RFD 55th Street LLC, owner of 60 East 55th Street, a 41- story mixed-use building currently being developed in Midtown Manhattan between Park and Madison Avenues, sought a special permit to allow a 19,249-square-foot high-end social club, known as the Core Club. The Club will feature a restaurant, library, outdoor lounge, screening room, meeting room, gym and spa. At the BSA hearing, RFD … <Read More>


Two Staten Island neighborhoods down-zoned

Staten Island Council Member wins approval for down-zoning despite strong concerns of Commissioners Merolo and Phillips. Council Member Andrew J. Lanza, representative for District 51 on the south shore of Staten Island, sought two map amendments for the Eltingville and Tottenville sections of Staten Island, which would predominantly restrict new development to single-family homes

In Eltingville, Council Member Lanza sought to rezone 12 blocks bound by Richmond Avenue, Koch Boulevard, Hayes Avenue and Hylan Boulevard. … <Read More>


New bridge for East 153rd Street approved

Bridge will provide four traffic lanes, two bike paths, two walkways and a needed cross-town connection. The Department of Transportation sought a City Map amendment for the construction of a new East 153rd Street bridge in the Bronx to span the Metro North railroad tracks and reconnect the east-west linkage of East 153rd, between Morris Avenue and the Grand Concourse. DOT closed the original 1899 two-lane bridge in 1988, due to safety concerns, and demolished … <Read More>


DUMBO BID approved

BID will encompass 366 properties and address sanitation, security and marketing needs. The Planning Commission unanimously approved an application by the Department of Small Business Services to create a DUMBO Business Improvement District. The proposed BID would encompass 366 properties containing 575 existing businesses bounded by DUMBO’s York, Old Fulton, Gold, and Bridge Streets and extending to the East River.

Under the proposed BID, businesses and industrial uses would be assessed $.05 per-square-foot and $.004 … <Read More>