UPDATED: City to Implement Up to 100 Miles of Safe Streets

The plan will aim to add 100 miles of open streets, widened sidewalks and protected bike lanes. Note: This article has been updated to continuously reflect the added streets as those announcements are made. Please continue to check back for further updates.

On April 27, 2020, the Mayor’s Office announced a plan along with Council Speaker Corey Johnson to implement street closures, sidewalk widening, and the addition of bike lanes as part of the City’s <Read More>


Shake Shack keeps sidewalk cafe

Shake Shack sued landlord to keep popular sidewalk café after landlord failed to re-approve permit. Downtown Brooklyn’s Shake Shack opened in 2010 at 409 Fulton Street. Shake Shack leased the location for a 20-year term with two 5-year renewal options from landlord Allied Property Group. In February 2011, Allied executed the required landowners’ consent to allow Shake Shack to obtain a Department of Consumer Affairs permit to operate a sidewalk cafe adjacent to the restaurant. … <Read More>


City Planning Approves Application to Convert Former Hotel Building to Affordable Housing

The conversion of the former Watchtower hotel will bring 508 residential units to DUMBO, Brooklyn. On February 19, 2020, the City Planning Commission approved an application to rezone a block in DUMBO, Brooklyn from a light manufacturing district to a mixed-use residential and commercial district. The block is bounded by High Street to the north, Sands Street to the south, Jay Street to the east, and Pearl Street to the west. The rezoning would facilitate … <Read More>


COMPLETE VIDEO: 163rd CityLaw Breakfast with Marisa Lago, City Planning Director

On Friday, October 4, 2019, New York City Department of City Planning Director, Marisa Lago spoke at the 163rd CityLaw Breakfast at New York Law School. Director Marisa Lago was introduced by Professor Ross Sandler, Director of the Center for New York City Law and Dean Anthony W. Crowell. Director Lago spoke on “Planning for Inclusion: The Whys and Hows.” This Breakfast was sponsored by Davidoff Hutcher and Citron LLP, ConEdison, Greenberg Traurig, and Verizon.


Council in Agreement to Close Rikers, Questions Remain on Borough Based Jail Solution

Council received extensive testimony and differing perspectives on Borough Based Jails. On September 5, 2019, City Council’s Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses held a public hearing regarding the City’s application to close Rikers Island and create a Borough Based Jail System. The proposed sites are 124-125 White Street in Manhattan, 745 East 141St Street in the Bronx, 126-02 82nd Avenue in Queens and at 275 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.


Plans for Broadway Junction’s Transformation and Revitalization are Revealed

The Vision Document represents the first effort by the City and the Brooklyn community to solely focus on Broadway Junction. On August 15, 2019, Council Member Rafael L. Espinal, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) commissioned a Vision Document, Broadway Junction: Vision for the Future that serves as a guide to supporting the transformation of Broadway Junction in Brooklyn. The Vision Document is the first step … <Read More>