New Bedford Avenue Apartment Building to Replace Underutilized Gas Station

The new building will provide 36 apartments, eleven of which will be affordable. On November 14, 2018, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on an application for a rezoning at 895 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. The applicant, 895 Bedford Avenue Realty LLC, proposes to build a seven-story residential building with ground retail space at the corner of Bedford Avenue and Willoughby Avenue.  


Mayor Announces Repairs To 62,000 NYCHA Apartments

The repairs will be made possible through public-private partnerships. On November 18, 2018, Mayor de Blasio announced that NYCHA has committed to $13 billion in repairs to 62,000 of its units. The renovations include new kitchens and bathrooms,  replacement of windows, elevators, boilers, and roofs, and improvements to common areas. The repairs will affect approximately 140,000 residents, who will “retain all their rights as public housing residents, pay rent limited to 30 percent of their … <Read More>


Landmarks Sides with Residents Against Changes to Stand-Alone Mansion-House in Stuyvesant Heights Historic District

Applicants failed to convince Landmarks Commissioners on the appropriateness of the project. On October 2, 2018, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on a certificate of appropriateness for the construction of a four-story residential building at 375 Stuyvesant Avenue, located in the Stuyvesant Heights Historic District in Brooklyn. The applicants proposed to demolish and reconstruct an existing garage on a different portion of the lot to make room for the proposed building.


COMPLETE VIDEO – Open Space Dialogues: From Vacant to Vibrant

On November 19, 2018, New York Law School hosted New Yorkers for Parks for their Open Space Dialogues: From Vacant to VibrantThis installment of the Open Space Dialogues explored the ways New Yorkers have and want to, create nontraditional open spaces in unusual places, from a single lot or tunnel to entire neighborhoods and whole islands. The event was kicked off by Center for New York City Law Associate Director Brian Kaszuba, who … <Read More>


Comptroller Study Finds Majority of Lobbies in NYCHA Buildings Have Unsecured Doors

NYCHA residences throughout the five boroughs have serious security lapses from propped open and broken doors. On October 12, 2018, the City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released the results of an investigative survey on the exterior door security at New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments. Between July and August 2018, auditors visited 299 NYCHA developments and observed the conditions of exterior doors. The auditors observed 4,551 doors in development in the five boroughs.


City Planning Approves City-Initiated Special Garment Center District Rezoning

Zoning changes will bring many buildings into compliance and will lift manufacturing space preservation requirements. City officials step in to ensure garment manufacturing has a continuing place in the district. On September 26, 2018, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on a proposed rezoning of the Special Garment Center District by the Department of City Planning, in conjunction with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC). The Special Garment Center District encompasses … <Read More>