I was motivated to respond to an article by Robert Kuttner on The American Prospect website that in general argued that a tax-subsidized project was facing impending collapse which could provide an opportunity for affordable housing. I have no problem with the author disliking Hudson Yards and he wouldn’t be the first or only one to do so. I believe, however, that the American Prospect piece contains misinformation on the Hudson Yards project. This article … <Read More>
Search Results for: Lower Manhattan, Manhattan
Jamie Torres-Springer Appointed New Commissioner of Design and Construction
Torres-Springer, the former First Deputy Commissioner of the department, will be succeeding Senior Advisor for Recovery and outgoing Commissioner Lorraine Grillo. On March 23, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Jamie Torres-Springer as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Design and Construction. Torres-Springer will be succeeding Lorraine Grillo. Former Commissioner Grillo left the position earlier in March to serve as the City’s Senior Advisor for Recovery.
The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway: Time is Running Out
One year ago, in January 2020, the Expert Panel assigned by Mayor Bill de Blasio to study the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway issued its Final Report. Mayor de Blasio in 2019 appointed the seventeen-person Expert Panel* of which I was a member, following the angry rejection of New York City DOT’s plan for reconstructing the section of the BQE adjacent to Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo and Downtown Brooklyn. City DOT presented its plan publicly September 2019. The … <Read More>
DEP Announces Installation of Solar Panels on Schools, Water Treatment Facilities
The new solar power installations will help to generate over 22 megawatts of solar energy. On March 1, 2021, New York City and the New York Power Authority announced the installation of solar arrays at almost 50 public schools within New York City as well as at water treatment facilities in Manhattan, Westchester, Delaware, and Ulster counties. The power generated by the installations is enough to power approximately 5,600 City residences and reduce nearly 7,000 … <Read More>
Landmarks Calendars Three Sites Amid Launch of Equity Framework
The Equity Framework aims to increase diversity in New York’s landmarks and work within the Landmarks Preservation Commission. On January 19, 2021, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to calendar three sites for designation as part of the agency’s launch of an equity framework designed to better represent New York City’s diversity and underrepresented populations. The three sites calendared for proposed designation are the Conference House Park Archeological Site in Tottenville, Staten Island, the Holyrood Episcopal … <Read More>
City’s withdrawl of offer approved
Tax Commission withdrew favorable property tax assessment following audit. 45 Great Jones Street in Manhattan was constructed in 2014 and contains a retail space and five cooperative apartments. The property owner challenged the assessed value for the years 2016/2017 and 2017/2018. The Tax Commission approved a nearly 40 percent decrease in property value for both tax years. The Tax Commission reduced the assessed value for 2016/2017 from $3,244,032 to $2,012,612, and for 2017/2018 from $3,503,554 … <Read More>