Mayor de Blasio’s Land Use Appointments Carousel Continues

Mayor de Blasio has re-structured the City’s land use administrative hierarchy to further his affordable housing agenda. On July 22, 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio nominated Margery Perlmutter to serve as Chair of the Board of Standards and Appeals. This was the Mayor’s latest appointment  to City land-use positions, all of which will bear heavily on the Mayor’s expansive affordable housing agenda, a ten-year plan designed to preserve some 200,000 units of affordable housing.


New Preschool Planned for Vacant Fillmore Place Lot

Applicants say wood in proposed façade would mirror the tone of the historic district’s primarily masonry fabric in contemporary language. On July 8, 2014, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, in its first meeting headed by new Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan, considered a proposal for a new building on a vacant lot at 2 Fillmore Place, at the corner of Driggs Avenue, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The site lies in the Fillmore Place Historic District, a … <Read More>


CityLand Recognizes Revolutionary War Era Landmarks

Independence Day commemorates the United States’ declaration of independence from Great Britain. Significant events occurred in New York City during the Revolutionary War, and many historic figures were from, and are buried here. In celebration of Independence Day, CityLand has created a list of some historic landmarks designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission that have a connection to the Revolutionary War era. Happy 4th of July from all of us here at the Center for <Read More>


REBNY Issues New Report on Landmarking and Housing Production

REBNY report shows that housing production, particularly affordable housing, is drastically lower in landmarked areas in the five boroughs. In 2013, the Real Estate Board of New York conducted a study which showed that nearly 28 percent of Manhattan is landmarked and that fewer than 2 percent of new housing units built in Manhattan over a ten-year time period (2003-2012) were constructed on landmarked properties. On July 1, 2014, REBNY released a new report which … <Read More>


Paid Sick Leave Act

New Yorkers may start using earned leave time next month. On April 25, 2014, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce hosted a Paid Sick Leave Forum at the Brooklyn Public Library to help explain the City’s newly implemented Earned Sick Time Act, also known as the Paid Sick Leave Law. The forum focused on helping employers understand their responsibilities under the law and ensuring their compliance with the rules. Representatives from the Mayor’s Office and Department <Read More>


Call for a Senior Housing Task Force

The shortage of affordable housing is felt in every corner of our City. Reasonably priced options are elusive– jeopardizing many residents’ personal security and eradicating diversity from our communities. Our rapidly growing population of elderly New Yorkers is especially vulnerable; seniors face unique challenges at a time when stability is paramount.