History in the Making: The New York City Landmarks Law at 50

Speakers spoke of the different priorities of City government and other stakeholders, examined preservation strategies of municipalities nationwide, and considered changes in the legal landscape that could affect landmarking. On October 26, 2015, , Meenakshi Srinivasan, Chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and Jerold Kayden, Professor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, co-hosted an event titled “History in the Making: The New York City Landmarks Law at 50.” The event held at … <Read More>


Commission Held First of Four Special Hearings to Address Backlog

Wide support voiced for designation of Coney Island pumping Station; potential extension to Douglaston Historic District and individual designation of Queens Apartment complex and religious structures proved contentious. On October 8, 2015, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held the first of four hearings meant to address the backlog of items on the Commission’s calendar added prior to 2010. Twenty-nine items were considered, in three groupings of multiple items clustered by borough. Each speaker had three minutes … <Read More>


DCP Initiates Public Review Procedure for Proposed Rezoning of East New York

The proposal would create new affordable housing, public parks, and other community improvements.  On September 21, 2015, the City Planning Commission began the public review process for the Department of City Planning’s proposal to rezone several neighborhoods in Brooklyn.  The East New York Community Plan would invest in the improvement of the East New York, Ocean Hill, and Cypress Hills neighborhoods of Brooklyn—represented by Community Boards 5 and 16—by adding affordable housing and community … <Read More>


Center for NYC Neighborhoods Hosts Panel on Affordable Homeownership

The keynote panel focused on the issues and challenges raised by affordable housing creation and preservation in New York City.  On September 30, 2015, the Center for NYC Neighborhoods held its conference on the Future of Affordable Homeownership in NYC.  The event was hosted at New York Law School and sponsored by NYLS, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, the Center for Real Estate Studies, the Center for New York City Law, and several other … <Read More>


Rent Stabilization: Preserving Low and Middle-Income Housing

Rent regulation is not a new issue for New York City. But the headlines in June 2015 were far larger and the reactions more contentious than at any time in recent memory. For the first time in its 46-year history, the Rent Guidelines Board decided that there would be no increase in rents for one-year renewals on rent-stabilized apartments; it also limited increases on two year renewals to two-percent. Not surprisingly, tenants hailed the decision … <Read More>


NYCHA Announces First Infill Locations: Plans to Build 1,000 New Housing Units

Boerum Hill, Upper East Side developments to be developed under NextGeneration Neighborhoods program.  On September 10, 2015, the New York City Housing Authority announced that it will launch its NextGeneration Neighborhoods program at its Wyckoff Gardens and Holmes Towers sites, which are located in the Boerum Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn and the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, respectively.  NextGen Neighborhoods, a NextGen NYCHA program, aims to build new residential units—50% affordable and 50% market-rate—on … <Read More>