First Phase of 700-Unit Affordable and Sustainable Development Project in East Harlem Announced

The project will be financed under an HPD program that requires low and extremely low-income affordability and set-asides for the formerly homeless. On June 27, 2019, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the Housing Development Corporation (HDC,) L+M Development Partners, Jonathan Rose Companies, and Acacia Network announced finalized plans for the first stage of development of Sendero Verde in East Harlem in Manhattan. The site is located on 111th Street, … <Read More>


City Council Approves City Planning’s Mechanical Voids Text Amendment

Developers were using excessive mechanical spaces to increase the height of their buildings. On May 29, 2019, the City Council voted to adopt the Residential Tower Mechanical Voids Text Amendment with modifications. The Department of City Planning proposed the amendment in response to developers incorporating excessively tall mechanical floors – “mechanical voids” – in residential towers to increase their allowable height, as mechanical floors did not count toward the zoning floor area in the Zoning … <Read More>


Charter Revision Commission Releases Preliminary Staff Report

Starting this week, public hearings are being held throughout the five boroughs to solicit feedback on the report’s recommendations. In April of 2018, the NYC Council created a Charter Revision Commission. The 15-member commission, which was granted a wide mandate to review the City Charter from top to bottom, is considering possible amendments to be placed on the November 5, 2019 ballot in New York City. The Commission’s focus has been on four areas … <Read More>



De Blasio Administration Sues to Remove “Water-Based” Billboards from City Waterways

The City is seeking thousands of dollars per day in fines for the ongoing and repeated violations. On March 27, 2019, the Mayor’s Office announced a lawsuit against Ballyhoo Media, Inc., a water-based billboard company, for repeatedly violating local laws by displaying “Times Square-style” billboards on Manhattan and Brooklyn waterways. The billboards began popping up last Fall and are LED signs on barges, and the City alleges in the suit that the signs create a … <Read More>


DCP Announces a Faster and Enhanced ZoLa

The ZoLa 2.0 update adds features that allow users to customize maps, view explanatory information, and see indicators about a property. On March 5, 2019, Department of City Planning Director Marissa Lago announced improvements to the agency’s Zoning and Land Use Application (ZoLa). ZoLa is a free online mapping tool that provides simple ways to research zoning regulations for a property, discover new land use proposals in a neighborhood, and view the location of historic … <Read More>