Illegal Conversion Legislation Considered [UPDATE: City Council Passes Bill]

UPDATE: On May 10, 2017, the City Council voted 49-0 approve the new legislation. The new law, sponsored by Council Members Vincent Gentile and Jumaane Williams, increases the minimum civil penalty for immediate hazardous illegal conversions to $15,000 fine for each dwelling unit beyond the number that are legally authorized. The legislation was proposed after a two-alarm fire in an illegally converted unit in East Flatbush, Brooklyn killed one person, injured five more, and … <Read More>


City Council, Borough President Push Against Illegal Home Conversions

The new legislation was announced in the wake of fire fatalities.  On March 8, 2015 Councilmember Jumaane D. Williams held a press conference to announce new legislation to stop illegal home conversions in New York City.  The legislation is co-sponsored by Councilmember Vincent Gentile, who has previously introduced two other bills to halt illegal conversions, and is introduced at the request of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.  An illegal home conversion occurs when … <Read More>


Landmarks rejects extension of Ocean on the Park District

Vacant lot at 185 Ocean Avenue, adjacent to the recently-designated Ocean on the Park Historic District in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Photo: CityLand.

Following the Ocean on the Park Historic District designation vote, Landmarks agreed to consider extending district to include adjacent vacant lot. On December 15, 2009, Landmarks declined to extend Brooklyn’s recently- designated Ocean on the Park Historic District to include an adjacent vacant lot at 185 Ocean Avenue. Landmarks designated the Ocean on the … <Read More>


Twelve rowhouses near Prospect Park designated

 

Ocean on the Park Historic District comprising twelve buildings on Ocean Avenue in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Photo: LPC.

The owner of one of the buildings included in new historic district opposed designation. Landmarks voted to designate twelve 1910 rowhouses at 189 to 211 Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn as the Ocean on the Park Historic District. In 1909, developer Charles G. Reynolds hired Axel S. Hedman to build a row of homes along Ocean Avenue bordering … <Read More>


Landmarks designates 19th century school

Designation does not include adjacent lot to accommodate trade group. Landmarks voted on November 20, 2007 to designate the former P.S. 90 building in Flatbush, Brooklyn. The Round-Arch style building dates back to 1878 and was built by John Y Culyer, chief engineer of Prospect Park and designer of the nearby Flatbush Town Hall. Landmarks first held a public hearing on the building back in 1989.

At the September 18th public hearing, representatives from the … <Read More>


DDC Celebrates Water Main Upgrades in Park Slope

On November 1, 2024, the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced the completion of a $40.7 million project that focused on protecting Brooklyn residents from the future impacts of climate change. The project was managed by the  Department of Design and Construction on behalf of the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Transportation. The upgrades in Park Slope aim to improve stormwater drainage and the overall capacity of the … <Read More>